Think Water Utah
Water is an essential component of life on our planet – environmentally, culturally, and historically. What role does water play in your life?
Think Water Utah is a statewide collaboration and conversation on the critical topic of water presented by Utah Humanities and its partners. Learn more about Smithsonian exhibitions, along with local exhibits and events that explore how water is essential to Utah communities.
Learn more about Utah Water Ways in this fascinating essay by Gregory Smoak, catch the latest water story at Utah's Beehive Archive, or dive into our Library of Virtual Events!
WINNER of the 2022 OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD from the Utah Division of State History, which recognizes significant contributions to history preservation in Utah. WINNER of the national 2023 LEADERSHIP IN HISTORY AWARD OF EXCELLENCE from the American Association for State & Local History.
#ThinkWaterUtah #MyWaterStory #IdeasInAction
Partner Exhibitions
Learn how water unites and divides us in our communities, our cultures, and our future!
Think Water Utah, presented by Utah Humanities and its partners, is a statewide collaboration and conversation on the critical topic of water. Along with the Smithsonian Water|Ways and H2O Today exhibitions, visit these community exhibitions around Utah in 2020-2022!
PARTNER EXHIBITION PROJECTS
- January 15 – September 6, 2021 | Decisions Downstream examines new models for predicting the environmental impacts of water development projects | Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, 801.581.6927 | LEARN MORE HERE and TOUR THE EXHIBITION HERE
- February 18 – December 12, 2021 | Where does water in Salt Lake Valley come from? Where does it end up? Confluence explores water’s journey from mountain streams to Great Salt Lake in collaboration with six local organizations. Also see Think Water Through Art, exploring water as a universal theme in art from Africa to Europe to Asia | Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, 801.581.7332 | UMFA ACTIVITIES
- February 25 – May 29, 2022 | Decisions Downstream shows how the choices we make about how to develop water resources have big impacts on river habitats | Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive, Park City, Utah 84098, 435.649.1767 | PARK CITY ACTIVITIES
- July 28 – October 31, 2022 | A Life of Adventure: The Legacy of A.K. and Ellen Reynolds recounts early boating on the Green River and features one of the Reynolds family's handmade historic cataract boats, along with the Rig to Flip documentary "Face Your Danger" based on reams of archival material donated with the boats. See a film preview here | Uintah County Heritage Museum, 155 E Main Street, Vernal, Utah 84078, 435.789.7399
H2O TODAY COMPANION EXHIBITIONS
- January 21 – April 19, 2021 | Utah's Waterways is a juried exhibition of 2-D artworks providing a localized and artistic visual complement to H20 Today | West Valley Arts, Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 West 3100 South, West Valley City, UT 84119, 801.965.5100 | WEST VALLEY CITY ACTIVITIES
- April 26 – July 31, 2021 | Through Their Eyes: Photographs from the Second Powell Expedition is an exhibition featuring reconstructed images captured by John Wesley Powell’s Second Expedition paired with diary entries from members of Powell’s crew describing the breath-taking scenery along the Green River| Uintah County Heritage Museum, 155 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 84078, 435.789.7399 | VERNAL ACTIVITIES
- August 7, 2021 – October 31, 2022 | Bear River Boa Ogoi: the River is Life explores how the Bear River is the source of life for Northwestern Shoshone peoples, representing their physical, cultural, and spritual experiences both in the past and today | Hyrum City Museum, 50 West Main Street, Hyrum, UT 84319, 435.245.0208 | BEAR RIVER HERITAGE AREA ACTIVITIES
WATER|WAYS COMPANION EXHIBITIONS
- July 18, 2020 – June 30, 2022 | Our River is Our Community explores how the Green River is essential to life and culture in southeastern Utah | John Wesley Powell River History Museum, 1765 Main Street, Green River, UT 84525, 435.564.3427 | EXHIBIT TOUR VIDEO and GREEN RIVER ACTIVITIES
- August 22, 2020 - October 31, 2022 | Carved Rock: How Water Shaped Land & Life in Clear Creek Canyon explores how a canyon passageway carved through daunting mountains served as a source of life and symbol of sustenance to people using the canyon for the last 10,000 years | Fremont Indian State Park Museum, 3820 W Clear Creek Canyon Rd, Sevier, UT, 435.527.4631 | SEVIER VALLEY ACTIVITIES
- August 29 - December 31, 2020 | Drained: Using Water from the Sevier River shows how irrigation projects started in the 1860s have directed nearly all the Sevier River’s water to agriculture and industries and asks whether it's time to re-evaluate this water usage | Snow College Library - Richfield Campus, 800 W 200 S, Richfield, UT, 435.893.2238 | SEVIER VALLEY ACTIVITIES
- October 17 - December 13, 2020 | Water Right explores the idea that cultural values of different societies in the Kanab region have caused water resources to be allocated in decidedly different ways over time | Kanab Heritage Museum, 13 S 100 E, Kanab, UT, 435.644.3506 | KANAB ACTIVITIES
- December 19, 2020 – October 31, 2022 | Why Wetlands? is a Spanish-English bilingual, permanent exhibit that explores the Swaner wetlands and the critical role they play in the long-term health of the community and local ecosystem | Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter, 1258 Center Drive, Park City, UT, 435.797.8943 | PARK CITY ACTIVITIES
Think Water Utah is presented by Utah Humanities in collaboration with these extrordinary partners:
Many thanks to our vital partners and generous funders for their support of Think Water Utah, and to Justin McFarland, photographer of the Great Salt Lake Causeway.
