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If you’re ready for some holiday cheer, take note that Utah set a record snowfall last year in the Year of the Water.
It broke records.
As the Deseret News captured in stunning photos, the snow never stopped falling.
Alta Ski Resort at one point had the heaviest snowfall in the country.
Utah relies on snowpack to provide much of its water through an elaborate system of storage dams, aqueducts, and pipelines serving the rapidly growing Wasatch Front.
The Utah Department of Water Resources has some good news to keep in your stocking.
Currently, reservoirs across the state are averaging 78% capacity. This is about 20% higher than normal reservoir levels for this time of year. In most cases, reservoirs can remain near these levels until spring runoff.
“It’s still early in the season, so we’re hoping that Mother Nature will bring us some much-needed snow, but we’re planning for all possibilities,” said Candace, director of the Department of Water Resources.・Mr. Hasenjager said. “We need to be aware of changing conditions and be prepared for whatever amount of snow our state receives between now and April.”
This year’s rainfall did not disappoint.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Utah Snow Survey reports that precipitation in Utah’s valley regions was above normal for November. Its monthly report went on to report this good news.
“Of Utah’s 16 major watersheds, all had above-average mountain precipitation in November except Sun Pitch, Price-San Rafael, Southeastern Utah, and Dirty Devil Basin. Southern Utah “The West was the big winner of the month with 3.6 inches of new precipitation, 202% of normal,” the release states.
Not all is bright when it comes to water
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Utah is out of drought, but some areas are still affected.
Of particular concern is the easternmost region of Utah, which borders Colorado and is said to be experiencing moderate drought. Another section is unusually dry and contains the Green River, which eventually empties into the Colorado River and into Lake Powell.
The seven basin states that make up the Colorado River Basin are tasked with coming up with solutions to save their ailing rivers, plagued by too much water diversion and decades of historic drought.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation took emergency action this year, mandating reductions in Colorado River water consumption until final action is taken.
Among the Upper Basin states, Utah did its own calculations and worked with partners to create a plan. Is that enough?
The new concept is called the System Maintenance Pilot Program. And it’s starting to work, a staff engineer with Utah’s Colorado River Authority told the Utah Water Task Force in December.
The $125 million allocated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is fueling the program, which has resulted in 64 projects in four Upper Basin states, including 20 projects in Utah.
Collectively, these projects saved approximately 38,000 acre-feet of water consumption on the Colorado River in the Upper Basin. As part of that group, Utah saved 15,090 acre-feet. It’s just a drop, but it’s a start.
Great Salt Lake was photographed on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
The salty elephant in the room
This year’s Great Salt Lake received some relief thanks to an abundant snowpack, with its lower arm rising more than 5 feet. The lake continues to suffer, creating myriad problems for the Wasatch Front, industry, migratory birds, and the state’s cultural identity.
Great Salt Lake County Commissioner Brian Steed says there’s hope, but there’s a long way to go.
In a recent media briefing, he said the strategy to support the Western Hemisphere’s largest salt lake is divided into short-term measures, medium-term actions and long-term goals.
A strategic plan for the Great Salt Lake will be submitted to Utah Governor Spencer Cox by December 31st.
Once released, the report will be released for public comment, and the Great Salt Lake Strike Team is expected to release another report in January assessing the lake’s condition and future direction.
Steed said $25 million in support for the Great Salt Lake and necessary additional measures will be requested in the upcoming state legislative session.
The state has always enjoyed the Great Salt Lake, but its ill health is forcing a new assessment of how important it is.
You only have to point to California’s Owens Lake to see the devastating effects of a dry terminal lake.
Last year, the Great Salt Lake benefited from renewed attention, but like anything that needs nurturing, everyone must remain vigilant.
House Speaker Mike Schultz (R-Hooper) said he’s grateful for the shift in the conversation around water this Christmas season.
“I think one of the things I’m most grateful for over the past two years is that we’ve been able to successfully change the conversation in Utah about the importance of water. “We have taken it for granted, but we are the second driest state in the nation,” he said. “But public sentiment about water is changing, and even in a record year with record amounts of water, people are conserving more water today than ever before.”
Schultz said the Utah Legislature is committed to moving forward in supporting the Great Salt Lake and water conservation in general, and the public agrees.
“The way we think about water in Utah is changing and people are becoming more conservation-minded. And that’s how we solve the problem.”
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