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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's collective reservoir system remains in a good position, about four-fifths full at the moment. However, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is already optimistic about the near future.
At the beginning of his monthly press conference Thursday, Cox pointed to the state's strong soil saturation levels and the monsoonal rain in the immediate forecast for his optimism that next year's spring runoff will be as efficient as this year's was, which would help continue refilling the state's reservoirs that topped out about 86% capacity this summer.
"Even with the hotter July, the record snowpack kept soil moisture high, which is really good news as we head into the fall," the governor said, explaining that it means a higher probability of the already better-off reservoirs benefiting in 2024. "That means we have a leg up on next year, which we're very excited about."
The state's reservoir system had plummeted to about 50% full this time last year, and about 42% full in fall 2022 before the reservoirs began to rise because of strong precipitation. Utah's mountain precipitation collection this water year, which began last October, remains about 138% of normal, boosted heavily by this year's record snowpack, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data.
The National Centers for Environmental Information, which uses different weather data, listed Utah as being on pace for its 19th wettest water year after July, but it will likely move up the order after strong precipitation totals this month that will continue into at least next week. It's a large improvement over the last three years, which wound up as the sixth, 19th and 39th driest water years on record, respectively.
This year's high snowpack also kept soil moisture levels high even before the summer monsoons returned in recent weeks. Utah's soil moisture levels have now shot back up to 40%, as compared to the mid-August median of about 30% since 2006, the agency also reports. The current levels are just below the record high for this point in the year since data collection began.
Utah's soil levels were actually higher this time last year, though, because of a robust series of monsoonal storms that started to reverse Utah's water trends and helped this year's spring runoff be as successful as it was.
Soil moisture is considered one of three key components for reservoirs to be replenished, as precipitation "tends to run on the surface to the nearest stream, river or reservoir" when soil moisture levels are high, as opposed to going straight into the ground when levels are low, according to the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District.
Following record snowpack, here's how full Utah's reservoirs are through mid-August
Utah's reservoirs remain well above normal levels with about two months left in the typical irrigation season, state water managers say.All of this is why Cox is optimistic heading into the upcoming 2024 water year, although it's still too early to forecast how much snowpack Utah will receive during the vital snow collection season.
At the same time he shared his enthusiasm over soil moisture levels, the governor thanked Utahns who have watered their lawns less, converted their lawns into water-wise landscapes or done other things to reduce their water consumption even with the added precipitation. He also pushed Utahns to continue those measures ahead of any future droughts.
"This commitment is really making a difference," he said. "I encourage our farmers ... to look into our agriculture optimization program and residents to visit SlowTheFlow.org for water-saving practices. Working together, we know we can continue to be even more drought-resistant."
