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SALT LAKE CITY — Water restrictions are likely to be enacted early and extend late into the year across a wider set of communities and cities in order to plan for a vastly different future if Utah's growth trends continue in the decades to come, an expert told a gathering of city and business leaders in Orem Wednesday.
Natural Resources Conservation Service snow survey supervisor Randy Julander told attendees at the Utah County Water Forum that Northern Utah's snowpack has gone from above 80 percent of average to 70 percent of average in a week's time.
The snowpack above Utah County registered at 69 percent of average Wednesday morning, he said.
Julander said Southern Utah locales are losing snowpack already and some areas of the state have seen zero water in January.
"Water managers across the state are looking at this very, very carefully," Julander said of the water situation and potential water restrictions. "They all seem to be of the same mind that they're going to start early and probably go late. You will see allocations cut across the board."
Julander said if the dry spell continues in February and March, "it really looks bleak." The long-range forecast may look a little bleaker if population growth projections hold.
By 2050 and with 5 million people living in Utah, Julander predicted a state where many lawns would be covered with rocks and astro turf instead of grass, and living would be much more high-density with much less green space.
"I'll be dead by then. I'll be happy to be dead," Julander quipped in an interview. "Conservation is likely not to get us that far. You're going to have to start changing the way developments are built and changing the way we look at how we live."
Though the forum organized by Taylor Oldroyd and Bill Freeze with the Utah County Association of Realtors was geared toward Utah County's water picture, the event drew public officials and businessmen from as far away as Genola and Tremonton.
City leaders had mixed emotions about the potential water future of the state.
"Long-term he's probably right, but it's doom and gloom," American Fork Mayor James Hadfield said. "Many cities have similar issues, similar concerns — the quality of water, the amount of the water and the continued growth is the topic that we're trying to address."
Highland Mayor Mark Thompson, who boasts decades of experience in the water business, said the dire projections are likely reality.
"If we're going to allow growth, then we have to say we can't have as much green personal space and we've got to determine how much recreational space we want."
Many presenters and public officials seemed to be in agreement the cost of water per household was likely to go up considerably in the future. Julander acknowledged Utah was still in better shape when it comes to water than fellow western states Nevada, Oregon and California.
Provo Mayor John Curtis presented what his city was doing to deal with water supply and water quality issues. He also encouraged simple conservation measures like loading dishwashers to capacity, turning off taps when brushing teeth, checking faucets and toilets for leaks, and using water meters to detect hidden leaks. Curtis called for a tempered approach.
"I don't think we have to go crazy on this, but it is something we need to understand and we need to be educated in and we need to understand certain actions have consequences," Curtis said. "Then we're better informed to make those decisions."
