Typical rainwater barrel.
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Rainwater Harvesting: Utah Rivers Council’s RainHarvest Program 2026
11 April 2026 The winter of 2025-2026 was Utah’s warmest winter on record. Snowpack peaked three weeks early with some of the lowest snowpack accumulations ever recorded and has plummeted to 38% of the median for this time of year. Locations accustomed to receiving most of their winter precipitation as snow have instead experienced more rain, with local ski resorts closing a month early due to lack of snow. To preserve existing reservoir storage without much snowpack to rely on, water managers are encouraging communities to institute drought contingency plans. What steps can Ogden Valley residents take to weather summer heat and expected water shortages through responsible water stewardship? Over 60% of Utah’s residential water use occurs outdoors, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources. One way to reduce outdoor water use is to utilize rainwater harvesting to conserve water for use on landscaping. It is estimated that between 15,020 - 22,940 gallons of rainwater fall on a typical northern Utah house during the spring, summer and fall. Rain barrels placed under roof downspouts to collect the water that falls during rainstorms are a simple, cost-effective way to utilize this resource to help reduce water consumption for outdoor uses. The water that is collected can be used for a variety of outdoor purposes, including watering gardens, trees, shrubs and potted plants even in times of watering restrictions. Rainwater collection has the added benefit of positively impacting water quality. Much of the rain that falls becomes runoff, which is funneled into stormwater systems and nearby waterways. Retaining rainwater where it falls by barrel collection helps reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that scours our streets, driveways, and gutters and washes pollutants and sediment into local water bodies. The Utah Rivers Council is celebrating the 12th year of their RainHarvest program in 2026. This program empowers Utahns to reduce their outdoor water consumption and help improve the water quality of local streams, rivers and lakes by decreasing polluted runoff. Residents can purchase deeply discounted rain barrels to help conserve water. From now through the last week of April, residents can place online orders for the 50-gallon rain barrels for just $88, a significant discount from the rain barrel’s $154.99 retail price. These rain barrels are then distributed at the pick-up event in Weber County on Friday, May 8, 2026. Rain barrels can be ordered online at: https://utahrivers.org/rainharvest |
