The approach of June — with its accompanying warmer weather — is bringing Utah residents outside.

The new season will provide plenty of opportunities to host barbecues, camp out under the stars — and most importantly, go boating.

According to Utah.com, Utah is ranked No. 6 in the nation for “the amount of boatable water per capita,” with over 100 locations that are considered “boatable.” Some of the most popular places include Lake Powell, Bear Lake, and Strawberry Reservoir.

Despite the nice weather, Utah’s lakes and rivers are still very cold. Per Fox 13, as of May 24, Bear Lake was 49 degrees and Deer Creek was 52 degrees. Before hitting the water, here are some tips to help you protect yourself against the frigid temperatures.

When is boating season?

Boating season is typically from late April to early October, according to My Boat Life. And, according the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the first week of June is National Fishing and Boating Week.

Utah.com has provided a list of thirteen of the most popular boating locations in Utah, each with boat ramps and campgrounds. They include

• Bear Lake.
• Lake Powell.
• Strawberry Reservoir.
• Flaming Gorge.
• Deer Creek.
• Jordanelle.
• Great Salt Lake.
• Willard Bay Reservoir.
• Sand Hollow State Park.
• Yuba Lake, Utah Lake.
• Pineview Reservoir.
• Quail Creek State Park.

How can I stay safe in cold water?

There’s a reason why the water is still so cold. According to Fox 13, the cool temperatures are “due to the continued runoff from snowmelt after another above-normal snow year.”

A Utah Water Conditions Update reported reservoir levels at 85%, which is 20% higher than normal. Most of that water comes from the snow.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center predicts above average summer temperatures for the intermountain West, which likely means that water temperatures will warm up in the next few months. However, it’s important to be aware of the current water temperatures.

According to Utah State Parks Blog, 50% of boating accidents concerning cold water exposure are fatal. The blog provided several ways to stay safe when boating:

• Don’t go out onto the water alone. Take a friend or two.
• Look at the weather forecast beforehand and check the water temperatures.
• Keep your cellphone and other electronics in waterproof containers or packaging.
• If you fall in the water, do your best to stay calm and control your breathing.
• Focus on meaningful movements, such as getting back in the boat or to shore.
• Wear a life vest.

“There should be a spectrum of dialogue in every political party and it should be not just okay but welcomed, encouraged,” Democratic candidate Nathaniel Woodward said of the party.

A month after a dramatic nominating convention, Utah Democrats have chosen a candidate to run in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District election this fall.

Nathaniel Woodward, an attorney based in Price and the chair of the Carbon County Democratic party, won the party’s nomination during a vote on Saturday. He replaces Brian Adams, whose views on immigration and Democratic President Joe Biden, led to outrage from Utah Democrats who demanded he recuse himself from the nomination last month.

In an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, Woodward said it’s not enough to get the Democrat or “disillusioned Republican” vote, but he wants to appeal and win the trust of voters from all spectrums of politics.

“I want [strong conservative Republicans] to have confidence that even this liberal progressive will do everything in his power to represent the interests of their community to make their lives better,” he said. “Between me and my Republican challengers, whoever it may be, I’m getting the head start, because now I’m starting to campaign to everyone, not just those in my party.”

Woodward added he feels good about going up against incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy or U.S. Army veteran Colby Jenkins, even though he knows he won’t fundraise nearly as much as them.

“Celeste and Colby are both people of honor, so I’m not terribly concerned about any of the nasty stuff …” he said of the monthslong 2024 campaign. “They’re going to out-fundraise me no matter what I do, and I can feel good that I will not be beholden to any corporations or national organizations.”

Woodward said he’s planning on taking a community-based approach to his campaign, not taking “a nickel from special interest groups or political action committees.” Instead, he will raise money from small donations from individual donors, small businesses, unions and “places that advocate for people, never places that advocate for corporations.”

The situation with Adams was interesting, Woodward said, adding he is not a fan of the idea that there cannot be disagreement within parties, whether Republican or Democrat.

Ahead of the nominating convention, comments by Adams — the sole Democrat to enter the race — claiming Jan. 6 rioters were being “politically persecuted” and criticizing Biden’s immigration policy resulted in ire within the party. At the April 27 convention, Adams agreed to withdraw his nomination, meaning Democrats would need to choose a new candidate. Woodward prevailed on Saturday over six other congressional hopefuls.

“There should be a spectrum of dialogue in every political party and it should be not just okay but welcomed, encouraged,” he said. “That being said, the positions [Adams] had taken, were deeply concerning to defend. Those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, are not just against our party values. I think it goes against common sense.”

The Utah Democratic Party is confident it can help Woodward run a successful campaign, according to Mason Hughes, a spokesperson for the party.

“We’ve been able to avoid a lot of the party infighting that the Republicans have been dealing with, especially in Congressional District 2,” Hughes said. “Nathaniel can just focus on the general election without having to focus on winning a primary right now.”

Utah’s 2nd District envelopes 13 counties with an estimated population of 849,661, according to the United States Census Bureau.

Woodward wants to focus on “little acts of service” like mowing people’s lawns to leave an impression on voters and flip the red seat blue.

“Even if come November, the voters decide that I’m not their choice, I still would have made an impact in each of those little communities, which is exactly what I want to do in Congress is to leave an impact, mutual positive impact in each of those communities,” he said.

Last week The Utah Debate Commission announced that all 18 candidates qualified for the Republican primary election have pledged to participate in their respective debates. All debates will take place in the weeks leading up to the primary election, which will be held Tuesday, June 25. 

“In a year with so many key races and so many talented candidates, we know there will be a lot to talk about,” said Ed Allen, Co-Chair of the Utah Debate Commission. “Debates offer candidates a singular opportunity to take their case directly to voters. We are pleased everyone has agreed to participate.”

The debates will be held in-studio at PBS Utah on the University of Utah campus. There are no primary elections being held for the Democratic Party.

All debates will be available to watch and listen to live on ABC 4 Utah, Fox 13 Utah, KSL 5 TV, KSL NewsRadio, KUTV 2 News, PBS Utah and on the Utah Debate Commission Facebook page and website. For those not able to watch or listen live, the debates can be streamed later at utahdebatecommission.org.

The scheduled debates are as follows, organized by position:

Governor

Tuesday, June 11 at 6 p.m.

Spencer Cox

Phil Lyman

Attorney General

Tuesday, June 11 at 2 p.m.

Derek Brown

Frank Mylar

Rachel Terry

U.S. Senate

Monday, June 10 at 6 p.m.

John Curtis

Trent Staggs

Jason Walton

Brad Wilson

Congressional District 1

Monday, June 10 at 2 p.m.

Paul Miller

Blake Moore

Congressional District 2

Monday, June 10 at 10 a.m.

Colby Jenkins

Celeste Maloy

Congressional District 3

Wednesday, June 12 at 6 p.m.

J.R. Bird

John Dougall

Mike Kennedy

Case Lawrence

Stewart Peay