Why water conservation remains a ‘top priority’ in Utah after Cox’s drought order expires

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox’s emergency drought declaration has now expired, but state water managers say conservation should “remain a top priority” as the state’s typically driest season approaches.

“Rising temperatures and increased demand will be a cause for concern this summer. Our reservoirs will get us through this year, but another year like this will stress our water supply,” Candice Hasenyager, director at the Utah Division of Water Resources, said in a state water update on Thursday.

Cox declared a state of emergency for 17 of Utah’s 29 counties late last month, citing extreme and severe drought conditions already in place across large swaths of central and southern Utah. Below-average snowpack levels in those regions were also a factor in the emergency.

Related: Drought conditions prompt state of emergency in Utah

The governor ordered the Utah Drought Response Committee to review “hardships and other circumstances” caused by drought in the affected counties, recommend actions to address those challenges, and create a way for “interagency coordination” tied to those actions. It also recommended that water supplies and irrigation companies across southern and central Utah “encourage efficient landscape watering,” among other things.

Under state law, a governor’s emergency declaration may only last 30 days unless extended by the Utah Legislature. The legislative body had no special session this month, meaning it declined to extend the order.

Although Utah’s reservoir system remains at 87% of capacity, drought continues to be a challenge heading into summer.

About 70% of Utah remains in drought, including 46% of the state that is either in severe or extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s final report before meteorological summer begins. Most areas not in drought are still considered “abnormally dry,” leaving only a section of the Wasatch Backcountry out of any type of drought category for now.

While storms and cooler temperatures could return to the state next week following a heat wave this weekend, long-range forecasting models favor above-normal temperatures throughout most of the summer.

Those models are also uncertain about precipitation, but summer is still the state’s driest season on average. The state averaged 2.65 inches of statewide precipitation during meteorological summer between 1991 and 2020 — more than 0.8 inches below any other season, according to federal climate data.

Monsoonal moisture is beneficial for improving wildfire conditions and soil moisture levels, as well as lowering evaporation rates across the state’s reservoirs. Yet, it does very little to pad the state’s water supply, which is generally shaped by snowpack collection that melts in the spring.

State water managers are optimistic about water availability this year, regardless of how this summer plays out, but they caution there’s no way of knowing if next winter’s snowpack will help recharge the system. That’s why they’re still calling on residents to cut back on watering as much as possible this summer.

Despite its expiration, Hasenyager said she believes Cox’s drought declaration still sent a message that “water conservation is essential for Utah’s future.” She encourages residents to find ways to reduce water consumption this summer, especially since water usage typically increases during the warmer months.

“Let’s be mindful of how we use water,” she added. “Most of our water use happens outdoors — start there.”

The state also opened up applications last week for an Emergency Disaster Relief Loan program for farmers and ranchers before the drought order expired.