FEMA estimates that 72 miles of Utah’s existing levees will require assessment in the immediate future. While there is an increased focus on levee evaluation nationally after recent costly failures, information regarding the condition of the majority of the levees across Utah is largely unknown. Risks associated with unassessed levees could lead to significant increases in flood protection requirements and insurance costs to home and property owners. The Army Corps of Engineers is currently tracking roughly 21 miles of levees within the state as part of the National Levee Database; of these, 19.5 miles are considered unacceptable and only 1.5 are considered minimally acceptable. If the remaining levees are in similar condition, this is highly concerning. As recently as 2011, the impact of serious flooding from inadequate levees was seen in Weber County, which highlights the potential risks of inadequate or poorly maintained levees that protect homes and businesses.
A: Exceptional, B: Good, C: Mediocre, D: Poor, F: Failing, ?: Incomplete
Each category was evaluated on the basis of capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation and maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation
Aviation
36 public-use airports
Bridges
117 of the 2,974 bridges are structurally deficient
Bridges
$10.70 million in bridge funds came from the Federal Highway Bridge Fund in 2011
Dams
100% of the state regulated dams have an Emergency Action Plan
Dams
201 high hazard dams
Drinking Water
$3.7 billion in drinking water infrastructure needs over the next 20 years
Energy
1.476 gigawatt-hours of renewable energy every year, ranking it 43rd
Hazardous Waste
15 sites on the National Priorities List
Levees
72 miles of levees
Public Parks
$356.0 million of unmet needs for its parks system
Rail
8 freight railroads covering 1,356 miles across the state, ranking 38th nationally by mileage
Roads
4,692 of the state’s 45,891 public roads are major roads, and 4% are in poor condition
Roads
$527.0 million a year in costs to motorists from driving on roads in need of repair, which is $295 /yr per motorist
Schools
$3.1 billion in estimated school infrastructure funding needs
Transit
40.3 million annual unlinked passenger trips via transit systems including bus, transit, and commuter trains
Wastewater
$2.9 billion in wastewater infrastructure needs over the next 20 years
March 03, 2017
As the President’s repeated in his address to Congress his pledge to dramatically increase infrastructure spending to the tune of $1 trillion, various Congressional Committees
March 01, 2017
On Tuesday night, President Trump addressed a joint-session of Congress for the first time in his presidency. Infrastructure was among the many issues he discussed.
February 28, 2017
U.S. motorists set a new record for vehicle miles travelled (VMT) in 2016, driving over 3.2 trillion miles, an increase of 70 billion miles from
February 17, 2017
Romantic dates, the Grammy awards and celebrating black history are not the only milestones of this week; the Oroville dam crisis in California and the