Geoscience in Your State: Utah

Cover of Geoscience Policy State Factsheet. Image credit: AGI

By the numbers: Utah

4,224 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)¹
1.15 billion gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal³
$2.61 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 2017⁴
31 total disaster declarations, including 18 fire, 8 flood, and 2 severe storm disasters (1953-2017)⁶
$9.02 million: NSF GEO grants awarded in 2017^14...

Agencies Working on Geoscience Issues in utah

Utah Department of Environmental Quality

https://deq.utah.gov/

DEQ's mission is, "Safeguarding and improving Utah’s air, land and water through balanced regulation." We implement State and federal environmental laws and work with individuals, community groups, and businesses to protect the quality of our air, land and water.

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

https://oilgas.ogm.utah.gov/oilgasweb/

The mission of the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining is to regulate the exploration and development of coal, oil and gas, and other minerals in a manner which encourages responsible reclamation and development; protects correlative rights; prevents waste; and protects human health and safety, the environment, and the interests of the state and its citizens.

Utah Geological Survey

https://geology.utah.gov/

The Utah Geological Survey provides timely scientific information about Utah's geologic environment, resources and hazards.

Maps & Visualizations

Screenshot of the interactive USGS geologic map database.

Interactive database for geologic maps of the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey hosts the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB). This interactive tool serves as a national archive for high-quality, standardized geologic maps created by the U.S. Geological Survey and state geological surveys. The MapView section of the NGMDB displays geologic maps...

Interactive database for geologic maps of the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the interactive database topoView.

Interactive database for topographic maps of the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey hosts topoView, an interactive database of the survey’s topographic maps. The map is searchable by address, and clicking on any point on the map brings up topographic maps of the area dating back to 1879. Map results can be narrowed further using scale and date filters...

Interactive database for topographic maps of the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of National Water Information System interactive map

Interactive map of water resources across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Information System (NWIS) created an interactive tool that maps water resources data at over 1.5 million sites across the country. The search tool allows the user to find sites by street address, location name, site number, state/territory, and watershed...

Interactive map of water resources across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Interactive map of groundwater monitoring information in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The National Ground-Water Monitoring Network compiles information from over 7,000 groundwater monitoring wells across the country, including Federal, State, and local groundwater monitoring networks. Although the image above only shows the contiguous United States, the interactive map also includes...

Interactive map of groundwater monitoring information in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Interactive map of post-fire debris-flow hazards in the Western United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey conducts post-fire debris-flow hazard assessments for many major fires across the Western United States. The information from these assessments is provided in an interactive map, allowing users to view fires by location or name and access detailed maps of debris-flow...

Interactive map of post-fire debris-flow hazards in the Western United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the EPA Cleanups in My Community map.

Interactive map of hazardous waste cleanups in the United States

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides an interactive map of hazardous waste cleanups across the United States. The "Cleanups in My Community" map provides a huge amount of information on thousands of cleanups of many kinds. For every cleanup, users can access and download reports...

Interactive map of hazardous waste cleanups in the United States

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Screenshot of the National Pipeline Mapping System Public Viewer

Interactive map of pipelines in the United States

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

The National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) Public Viewer from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration allows users to view pipelines and related information by individual county for the entire United States. The map includes: Gas and hazardous liquid pipelines Liquefied...

Interactive map of pipelines in the United States

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

Screenshot of the National Coal Resources Data System interactive map

Interactive map of coal resources in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Coal Resources Data System comes with an interactive map that provides a huge amount of information on the distribution, thickness, and classification of coal in the United States. The interactive map contains over 250,000 data points, each typically...

Interactive map of coal resources in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the interactive USGS map of historical oil and gas production in the United States

Interactive map of historical oil and gas production in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey provides an interactive map of historical oil and gas production in the United States from 1859 to 2005, including Alaska and Hawaii. In this map, the country is split into quarter-mile cells and the production status of all wells in that cell are aggregated for each time...

Interactive map of historical oil and gas production in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the USGS "Energy In Our Nation" interactive map

Interactive map of energy resources in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's interactive map, "Energy In Our Nation," provides a wide range of information on energy resources in the United States, including: Oil and gas exploration and production through 2005/2006 The 2012 USGS shale gas assessment for the United States Geothermal...

Interactive map of energy resources in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the interactive USGS windFarm map

Interactive map of wind farms in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's interactive windFarm map provides detailed information on wind farms across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. By zooming in on the map, users can find the precise location of tens of thousands of individual turbines, with information for each turbine...

Interactive map of wind farms in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of the UGS map of abandoned coal mines in Utah

Interactive map of abandoned coal mines in Utah

Utah Geological Survey

The Utah Geological Survey has produced an interactive map showing the locations of more than 450 abandoned coal mines in Utah. For over half of these, detailed maps of the individual mines are available for download and further use. The Utah Geological Survey is constantly working to improve this...

Interactive map of abandoned coal mines in Utah

Utah Geological Survey

Interactive map of oil and gas resources in Utah

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining provides an interactive map of oil and gas resources in Utah. The map includes: Oil and gas wells, including producing wells, test wells, shut-in wells, storage wells, and temporarily abandoned wells Simplified borehole paths (well tracks) and bottom...

Interactive map of oil and gas resources in Utah

Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining

Interactive map of geothermal wells and springs in Utah

Utah Geological Survey

The Utah Geological Survey provides an online interactive map of geothermal wells and springs in Utah. Detailed information on location and fluid chemistry is available for many sites. Click here to access the interactive map. Source: Utah Geological Survey

Interactive map of geothermal wells and springs in Utah

Utah Geological Survey

Screenshot of EIA interactive map of tight oil and shale gas plays

Interactive map of tight oil and shale gas plays in the contiguous United States

U.S. Energy Information Administration

The U.S. Energy Information Administration provides an interactive map showing the major tight oil and shale gas plays in the lower 48 states. Tight oil and shale gas are two of the main types of "unconventional" oil and gas resources, and played an important role in the early-21st-century...

Interactive map of tight oil and shale gas plays in the contiguous United States

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Interactive map of real-time and forecast information for coasts and oceans

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's nowCOAST web app provides real-time observations, forecasts, and warnings for a wide range of coastal and inland weather, water, air, and hazard issues. Available layers and services include: Weather forecasts Hour-by-hour forecasts...

Interactive map of real-time and forecast information for coasts and oceans

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Screenshot of USGS water use visualization showing each state resized relative to its water use in 2010

Visualization of water use in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey has produced a visualization that shows how much freshwater is used by each state for a variety of purposes. The visualization resizes the states according to how much freshwater they use. The visualization shows freshwater withdrawals for thermoelectric power generation...

Screenshot of the Utah Environmental Interactive Map

Interactive map of environmental monitoring and management in Utah

Utah Department of Environmental Quality

The Utah Department of Environmental Quality provides a large amount of environmental monitoring and management information in interactive map form. The Utah Environmental Interactive Map includes information on: Drinking water - includes public facilities, ground- and surface water protection...

Interactive map of environmental monitoring and management in Utah

Utah Department of Environmental Quality

Visualization of energy use in every state

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy and using data from the Energy Information Administration, has produced flow charts showing the major sources and uses of energy in every U.S. state in the year 2014. Energy flows from the sources (...

Screenshot of LLNL water use flow chart for California

Visualization of water use in every state

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy and using data from the U.S. Geological Survey, has produced flow charts showing the major sources and uses of water in every U.S. state in the year 2005. The water sources are divided into ground vs....

Interactive map of streams and rivers in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's Streamer application allows users to explore where their surface water comes from and where it flows to. By clicking on any major stream or river, the user can trace it upstream to its source(s) or downstream to where it joins a larger river or empties into the ocean...

Interactive map of streams and rivers in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Interactive map of the chemistry and mineralogy of soils in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey provides geochemical and mineralogical maps for the conterminous United States, based on sampling data with a spatial resolution of 1 sample per 1,600 square km, for a total of 4857 sites across the country. The resulting interactive maps allow users to see regional...

Interactive map of the chemistry and mineralogy of soils in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Map of wind power capacity in each U.S. state

U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy's Installed Wind Capacity map shows the current installed wind power capacity in each U.S. state, as well as yearly installed capacity maps dating back to 1999, which collectively show the growth of U.S. wind energy over time. These maps are part of the...

Interactive map of carbon dioxide storage potential in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The results of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geologic CO2 Storage Assessment (2013) are available in interactive map form. Detailed information is available on published and unpublished storage assessments for 36 sedimentary basins. Each basin can be clicked on for more information,...

Interactive map of carbon dioxide storage potential in the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screenshot of interactive geological map of the United States

Interactive map of the United States' geology and natural resources

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Mineral Resources Program's interactive Geologic Map of U.S. States provides a large amount of information on geology, natural resources, and environmental data for every U.S. state, including: Surface and bedrock geology Mineral resources Geochemical and...

Interactive map of the United States' geology and natural resources

U.S. Geological Survey

Visualization of average per person energy use for each state

U.S. Department of Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy's visualization of per person energy use allows you to explore what the average energy usage for your state looks like in the form of burritos, dynamite, and other more relatable metrics. Because most people can't visualize what it means to use 148,600,000 BTU, this...

Screenshot of the interactive drought risk map of the United States

Interactive drought risk map for the United States

National Drought Mitigation Center

National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) "The National Drought Mitigation Center Drought Atlas project is intended to provide a wide range of decision makers with historical drought information and a web-based tool to visualize and assess their risk to drought. Using a station-based...

Interactive drought risk map for the United States

National Drought Mitigation Center

Screenshot of NOAA's thermal springs viewer

Interactive map of thermal springs in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's thermal springs map displays the location and temperature of thermal springs throughout the U.S. The hot springs shown on the map are color-coded based on recorded temperature (red = boiling, orange = hot, yellow = warm, black = information not...

Interactive map of thermal springs in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Screenshot of the NWS interactive map of current weather hazards in the United States

Interactive map of weather hazard warnings in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service Watch, Warning, and Advisory Display map shows up-to-date weather warnings and advisories for the continental U.S. The map covers a wide range of weather hazards including tornadoes, thunderstorms, hurricanes, tropical...

Interactive map of weather hazard warnings in the United States

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Interactive map of the geology of Utah

Utah Geological Survey

The Utah Geological Survey's interactive geology map shows the different geologic units across Utah at a variety of scales. The map includes a location-based search feature that allows users to learn detailed information about a specific location's geology. Users can click on an area to download a...

Interactive map of the geology of Utah

Utah Geological Survey

Screenshot of the interactive map of Nevada's geothermal resources and infrastructure.

Interactive map of geothermal resources and infrastructure in Nevada

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology's Great Basin Geothermal Energy web app provides a large amount of information on geothermal energy in Nevada. The map includes: Geothermal sites of interest: wells and clusters Borehole temperature data Transmission lines Power plant facilities...

Interactive map of geothermal resources and infrastructure in Nevada

Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

Interactive map of operating nuclear power reactors in the United States

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Operating Nuclear Power Reactors interactive map shows all the nuclear power reactors that are regulated by the NRC and provides information about the operator, model, and power output for each reactor. Click here to access the ...

Interactive map of operating nuclear power reactors in the United States

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Interactive map of drought conditions across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's WaterWatch program maps below-normal 7-day average streamflow, identified through comparison to historical streamflow readings, to produce their DroughtWatch map. The map identifies drought conditions ranging from extreme hydrological droughts to below normal streamflow...

Interactive map of drought conditions across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Interactive map of flood conditions across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey's WaterWatch Flood Map allows you to find areas currently experiencing flood and high flow conditions across the United States. The map is updated daily and provides the option to search flood conditions by state or water-resources region. Click here...

Interactive map of flood conditions across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Interactive map of United States energy infrastructure and resources

U.S. Energy Information Administration

The Energy Information Administration Energy Mapping System provides an interactive map of U.S. power plants, pipelines and transmission lines, and energy resources. Using the map tool, users can view a selection of different map layers displaying the location and information about: all power...

Interactive map of United States energy infrastructure and resources

U.S. Energy Information Administration

Screenshot of the interactive map of mineral resources in the United States

Interactive map of mineral resources and mines across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Resources Data System catalogs information about mineral resources around the United States and the world. Using the map tool, users can zoom in to obtain reports and data on past and present mines, mine prospects, and processing plants. All of the data...

Interactive map of mineral resources and mines across the United States

U.S. Geological Survey

Screen shot of the EPA's Surf Your Watershed tool

Interactive map of water quality at the state and local level

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Note: Surf Your Watershed was recently decommissioned. EPA is working on a replacement application. We will direct users to that application when it becomes available. The Environmental Protection Agency's Surf Your Watershed interactive map allows you to find water quality...

Interactive map of water quality at the state and local level

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Screenshot of NREL's map of installed geothermal power capacity in each U.S. state as of February 2015

Map of geothermal power generation in each state

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) map of current and planned geothermal power production by state shows the nameplate capacity, the maximum manufacturer-rated output of a generator in megawatts, for geothermal energy in each state as of February 2015 (for more detailed and up-to-...

Map of potential geothermal resources across the United States

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) map of potential geothermal resources across the U.S. shows the potential for development of deep enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), as well as identified hydrothermal resources. Color shading shows the potential for deep enhanced geothermal...

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Case Studies & Factsheets

Dry well usage across the United States

Introduction Dry wells improve stormwater drainage and aquifer recharge by providing a fast, direct route for rainwater to drain deep into underlying sediment and rock. Dry wells are most common in the western U.S. where clay or caliche layers slow down the natural drainage of water into underlying...

Present Day Climate Change

Climate Science 101 Climate is the average of weather conditions over several decades.1,2 Geoscientists monitor modern climate conditions (1880 A.D. to present) in part by taking direct measurements of weather data (i.e., air temperature, rainfall and snowfall, wind speed, cloudiness, and so on)...

Roadway deicing in the United States

Background In areas prone to winter precipitation, transportation infrastructure must be able to quickly respond to snow and ice on roadways. Ice removal is a vital service in these communities. Deicing chemicals melt ice by lowering the temperature at which it melts. They can also prevent new ice...

Abandoned Wells

Introduction In 2017, there were one million active oil and gas wells in the United States.1 When a well reaches the end of its productive life, or if it fails to find economic quantities of oil or gas, the well operator is required by regulators to remove all equipment and plug the well to prevent...

Geoscience in Utah

By the numbers: Utah 4,224 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)1 1.15 billion gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal3 $2.61 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 20174 31 total disaster declarations, including 18 fire, 8 flood, and 2 severe storm disasters (1953-2017)6 $9...

Geologic Mapping and Public Health

Using Geologic Maps to Protect Public Health Geologic maps can be used to understand and mitigate public health risks across the US, in addition to their more traditional use in resource and infrastructure decisions. Geologic maps can show the location of naturally occurring hazardous materials and...

Valley Fever - A Health Hazard in Southwestern Dust

What grows in arid, sandy soils? How do these soils become dust? Many small organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, grow among the sand and silt particles in dry valley and desert soils. At the soil’s surface, these organisms often form biological webs (“microbiotic crusts”) that keep small sand and...

Spills in Oil and Natural Gas Fields

Introduction Oilfield spills can harm wildlife and pose a risk to human health if they reach fresh water sources or contaminate soil or air. The enormous size of the oil and gas industry and the huge volumes of oil and produced water that are handled, stored, and transported result in thousands of...

Heavy Oil

Introduction Naturally occurring crude oil comes in many forms. The most familiar to many people is light crude oil, which is less dense than water and flows easily at room temperature. Heavy oil and bitumen are forms of crude oil that are more viscous (thicker) and dense. The largest crude oil...

Mining Operation to Produce Road Aggregate, Flowell, Utah. Image Credit:Lee Siebert, Smithsonian Institution.

Creation of a zoning district for aggregate operations in Tooele County, Utah

Under pressure to restrict aggregate operations, county leaders in Tooele, Utah developed an ordinance to protect the stone, gravel, and sand industry as well as the environment. Between 1990 and 2000, the population of Tooele, Utah, increased 51.3 percent to 40,735. As demand for construction and...

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Geoscience in Your State: Utah

By the numbers: Utah

Read more in this Geoscience in Your State Factsheet...

Agencies Working on Geoscience Issues in utah

Case Studies & Factsheets