Recent rain brings renewed hope despite low water levels at Piute Reservoir

JUNCTION, Piute County — There's no need to look at the numbers to see just how low Piute Reservoir is right now.

The exposed shoreline tells much of the story.

Areas that would typically be underwater in the spring are now dry, with the reservoir sitting at just 6% of its total capacity.

"This is what 6% looks like. A whopping 6%," said Lance Eliason, manager of Piute State Park.

That's half of where the reservoir was at this time last year, when it was at 12% capacity, and well below the 18% average for this time of year.

The water is so low that the park's boat dock and buoys have already been removed.

Reservoirs across Utah typically reach their lowest levels in the fall, following a summer of water use.

Statewide, reservoir storage is currently at about 32% of capacity.

However, despite the low water levels at Piute Reservoir, Eliason said there are reasons to be encouraged.

"It could have been much worse," he said. "I've had years where I pull to the end of the boat ramp, and it was a river straight through. The water was going by, and so I thought we'd be there this year, honestly, with the conditions we had and the rough year we had, but I'm actually encouraged."

One reason for that optimism is the recent wet weather in central Utah.

Utah's new water year began Oct. 1, and rain over the past few weeks has already helped raise the water level at Piute Reservoir by four feet.

Snow has also fallen in the nearby mountains, offering an encouraging early sign as Utah heads toward the winter months.

"It's nice to see a start of snow up here already. We've been getting a shot of moisture. We really got bailed out with the monsoon rains," said Eliason. "There's hope."

It's still far too early to know what kind of snowpack the state will have this winter or how much runoff will reach reservoirs next spring. However, after a difficult year, Eliason said any additional moisture is welcome.

He also said the reservoir has avoided another potential problem despite its low levels.

"We didn't have a die-off of fish. We didn't see any casualties that way," said Eliason. "I talked to a guy just the other day fishing on our boat ramp, and he actually surprised me. He was telling me that he was catching large catfish and having a blast doing that."

For now, the hope at Piute State Park is the same as it is at reservoirs throughout Utah: a good winter, plenty of mountain snow and enough spring runoff to bring water levels back up.

While there isn't much water at Piute Reservoir right now, there's still plenty of hope for next spring and summer.

Related topics