Utah’s reservoir outlook: Why conserving water is key

COALVILLE, Utah (ABC4) — Water resources this year could become very slim in parts of the state plagued with record low snowpack levels, while other parts could be breathing a sigh of relief.

Echo Reservoir is sitting at 99.5% capacity. Currently, Utah ranks second in the West for overall storage capacity, just behind Oregon.

Jordan Clayton, Supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey with Natural Resources Conservation Service, says Utah is in a good spot. “Central Utah and the Wasatch Front are very close to full—if not already full—at many of our reservoirs, including large ones like Echo,” Clayton said.

Utah’s reservoirs (excluding Lake Powell) right now are averaging about 86% capacity—a strong number for this time of year.

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“They support agriculture, municipal water, industry—pretty much everything,” Clayton added. “But we are concerned, particularly in southern Utah.”

Southern Utah’s record low snowpack season has led to severe and  extreme drought conditions for Southwest Utah. And their reservoirs have likely already seen peak runoff for this year.

Candice Hasenyager, Director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, says water conservation is key right now, no matter where in the State we live.

“If we’re not in drought, we’re preparing for the next one. And if we have a hot, dry summer in northern Utah, that can really diminish our water supply. So using our water wisely is always the right thing to do,” Hasenyager added.

Water resource managers for Echo Reservoir say the reservoir was designed to be a one year supply reservoir. So it’s levels fluctuate drastically each year but don’t expect it to spill this year.

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