Good, bad news for Utah’s water supply and summer outlook

SALT LAKE CITY -- Lawmakers heard good and bad news about Utah's water supply and what this summer could look like across the state. Members of the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee heard a report Wednesday from Joel Williams, deputy director of the Utah Division of Water Resources. Williams said more of Utah is in a drought now than compared to a year ago, especially in the southern part of the state where snowfall was “dismal” this past winter. Meanwhile, the snowpack up north was near or above normal.The snowmelt started earlier than normal this year, Williams added, but it has slowed down in the last few days with the cooler weather we've had. “We’ll take any additional rain and cold weather that we can get,” he said. A bright point for the state, Williams noted, is the fact that Utah's reservoirs are about 20% higher than normal for this time of year. “Those full reservoirs that we have, those could really help us if we are headed into another drought,” Williams said. “We're going to be pushing the conservation messaging, trying to help encourage people to use what they have wisely, and if we can extend that storage, it can really help us when we need it.”This summer is expected to be hot, which can impact the state’s water supply. The National Weather Service puts Utah right in the bullseye of above-average expected temperatures for June, July and August. But that doesn't mean it will necessarily be drier in Utah. The state’s chances for precipitation during the summer are generally about normal, according to the NWS.

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