State of Emergency Declared in Utah as Drought Conditions Worsen

Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox has declared a state of emergency in response to severe drought conditions affecting over 60% of the state. This decision was made on Thursday as the crisis escalates.

Data from the U.S. Drought Monitor reveals a troubling increase in drought severity in Utah. A year ago, only 42% of the state was facing severe drought, and a mere 3% was categorized as “extreme.”

“Our snowpack provides 95% of Utah’s water supply. This winter, that supply fell short of what Utah needs,” said Governor Cox. “We are now relying heavily on reservoir storage, which remains at 70% capacity thanks to careful management during wetter years. But those reserves are being drawn down faster than we’d like. I urge every Utahn to treat water as the precious resource it is.”

Recent reports from the Utah Division of Water Resources indicate that the winter snowpack peaked three weeks early on March 9th, measuring a record-low 8.4 inches of snow water equivalent—about half the usual accumulation for early April. This significant decrease has pushed 22 of Utah’s 29 counties into the “extreme” drought category, leading Joel Williams, the division director, to stress the severity of the situation, as the current drought is among the worst in Utah’s history.

In light of this, local water districts have begun to enforce strict conservation measures. Some towns, like Emery, have completely halted outdoor watering to ensure the availability of potable water.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake City is facing heightened demands on its water resources, with Laura Briefer, director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities, pointing out that consumption rates resemble those typically seen in June, rather than spring.

Salt Lake City has implemented Stage 2 drought restrictions to limit outdoor water use, and agricultural water users are also being subjected to reductions.

Briefer remarked, “I really want to ask our residents to be very deliberate about their water use. Reduce their outdoor watering. That’s going to keep us in Stage 2 and not go into Stage 3 with mandatory restrictions.”

Matt Hargraves from the Utah Farm Bureau noted that farmers and ranchers are feeling the impact of these water cutbacks first. He explained the tough choices facing livestock producers: deciding whether they have enough feed for their animals or if they need to sell parts of their herds.