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- Utah's reservoirs are 87% full, with 10% of this year's statewide snowpack left to melt.
- Twenty-five of 43 reservoirs are 81% full or more; Lake Powell is lower, but many ramps are available this weekend.
- Water conservation is urged due to potential evaporation and drought concerns this summer.
SALT LAKE CITY — People recreating near Utah reservoirs this Memorial Day weekend will likely find many of them full after a mixed bag of a winter.
Utah's reservoir system remains 87% full with about 10% of the peak statewide snowpack left to melt, according to Utah Division of Water Resources data. Twenty-five of the state's 43 largest reservoirs are currently 81% full or more, including five that are listed at full capacity.
Only eight are listed at 60% or lower, including Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir, and Panguitch Lake, which is still being repaired after cracks were found in the dam last year. Some of the other lower reservoirs are also scattered across central and southern Utah, where this year's snowpack wasn't as productive as in northern Utah.
"It's encouraging to see how much we've benefited these last three years, having average or above-average precipitation and snowpack," said Joel Williams, the water division's deputy director. "It's helped fill our reservoirs. We still are hurting in the southern part of the state … and we know we need some good snowpack in the future to help them out."
Williams provided members of the Utah Legislature's Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Interim Committee an update on the state's snowpack on Wednesday. While reservoir numbers are good, he outlined some trends that water managers must track this year.
This year's spring snowmelt hasn't been as efficient as experts had hoped, which lowered the state's water outlook heading into May. Snowmelt has been "a bit earlier than average," so the statewide snowpack could reach zero inches of snow-water equivalent before it normally does in the middle of June.
How full are Utah's reservoirs?
Reservoirs at 100% or more capacity:
- East Canyon Reservoir
- Pineview Reservoir
- Porcupine Reservoir
- Scofield Reservoir
- Woodruff Creek Reservoir
- Woodruff Narrows Reservoir
Reservoirs at 81% to 99% capacity:
- Big Sand Wash Reservoir
- Causey Reservoir
- Currant Creek Reservoir
- Deer Creek Reservoir
- Echo Reservoir
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir
- Joes Valley Reservoir
- Jordanelle Reservoir
- Hyrum Reservoir
- Lost Creek Reservoir
- Miller Flat Reservoir
- Newton Reservoir
- Otter Creek Reservoir
- Rockport Reservoir
- Sand Hollow Reservoir
- Smith and Morehouse Reservoir
- Starvation Reservoir
- Stateline Reservoir
- Strawberry Reservoir
- Utah Lake
- Willard Bay
Reservoirs at 61% to 80% capacity:
- Bear Lake
- Cleveland Lake
- Gunlock Reservoir
- Huntington North Reservoir
- Ken's Lake
- Millsite Reservoir
- Moon Lake Reservoir
- Quail Creek Reservoir
- Red Fleet Reservoir
- Settlement Reservoir
- Steinaker Reservoir
Reservoirs at 41% to 60% capacity:
- Gunnison Reservoir
- Minersville Reservoir
- Panguitch Lake
- Piute Reservoir
- Yuba Reservoir
Reservoirs at 21% to 40% capacity:
- Lake Powell
- Lower Enterprise
- Upper Enterprise
Several southern and central Utah basins have already reached the end of the snowmelt, hitting zero inches earlier than usual, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data. Some had decent snowpack levels, but Williams said it was also a "dismal" winter for southern Utah. As a result, Gov. Spencer Cox's drought declaration centered on 17 counties, mostly within those regions.
Despite dropping levels, some Lake Powell ramps remain open for Memorial Day weekend. The Antelope Point Business, Bullfrog North Launch, Halls Crossing, Wahweap Main and Wahweap Stateline Auxiliary ramps are available for houseboats and small motorized vehicles, per the National Park Service.
Meanwhile, most of the remaining snowpack is in the highest elevations of northern Utah. About 2 inches of snow-water equivalent remains within the Great Salt Lake basin, 11% of its peak and 63% of its median average for late May.
This year's projected hot summer could increase evaporation rates along lower-level reservoirs and the Great Salt Lake, which is something water managers will have to "plan for," Williams cautioned. Potential monsoonal moisture would help reduce evaporation loss over the summer should storms materialize, but long-range outlooks seem to indicate that those storms may not reach the Great Salt Lake Basin.
Water conservation measures are encouraged, as the state hopes for a better snowpack next winter.
Great Salt Lake update
The Great Salt Lake's southern arm lost 3 feet of water after last year's summer heat. Williams said lake levels could become a concern again if the region experiences a repeat this summer.
The lake is currently listed at 4,193.4 feet elevation, which is a level that could still impact brine shrimp viability, recreation and ecosystem health, according to the state's Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan. It's only about 1½ feet above a stage where "serious" effects on air quality and mineral production are also possible. The lake hit a record low of 4,188.5 feet elevation in 2022 before a couple of good snowpack seasons improved the lake's fortunes.
"We had a little bit of a breathing (room) and it's back to a little bit of a nervous feeling," Williams said. "We don't want to hit a new record low; we want to maintain the progress we've had and work on increases and ways we can increase the flow."
