Utah
Drought report: July monsoons help Utah’s soil moisture levels, but dry conditions persist
The Antelope Island marina of the Nice Salt Lake on Friday, July 22. The lake continues to fall to file lows. This month’s monsoonal storms have accomplished little to enhance drought situations. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information)
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — This month’s monsoonal storms have helped enhance Utah’s soil moisture situations, however they’ve accomplished little to enhance drought situations, state water officers mentioned Friday.
Utah’s soil moisture ranges are “trending barely above regular” for the tip of July, in keeping with a weekly drought report compiled by the Utah Division of Water Sources.
Nationwide Water and Local weather Heart information exhibits that jap and southern components of the state, the place many of the monsoonal storms have been concentrated, have the very best moisture ranges proper now. They’re the driest in central and northwest Utah, although each area within the state is at present over 80% of regular, per the info.
The Division of Water Sources provides the moisture hasn’t reversed any drought developments however has helped from the scenario getting any worse. This is the reason the U.S. Drought Monitor lists practically 84% in at the very least excessive drought; Utah has remained round that share for greater than a month. General, 99% of the state stays in at the very least extreme drought, which has been the case for the previous three months.
“We’re higher than we have been final yr, so that is the constructive information. However higher is a really low bar,” mentioned Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, when requested in regards to the present drought scenario Friday.
Almost 99% of the state was listed in at the very least excessive drought by the tip of July final yr, together with over half of Utah in “distinctive” drought. Solely about 8% of Utah is listed in “distinctive” drought in the intervening time.
Joel Ferry, the performing govt director of the Division of Pure Sources, defined that among the advantages of the monsoons have been negated by excessive warmth. For instance, Salt Lake Metropolis set a brand new file on Thursday by hitting 100 levels for the sixteenth time in July. Two extra 100-degree days over the weekend moved the brand new file as much as 18 days.
Different components of the state have skilled similarly-high temperatures between monsoonal storms this summer season.
“Regardless of current monsoons which have introduced much-needed rain to some areas of the state, sizzling, bone dry situations proceed to bake our parched vegetation,” Ferry mentioned in a press release Friday. “With temperatures within the triple digits and excessive winds, it would not take a lot to spark a harmful wildfire. We want folks to make use of good hearth sense and assist stretch our water provide.”
Utah’s reservoirs are at present at 53% capability, in keeping with the Utah Division of Water Sources. The determine excludes Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell as a result of they do not contribute as a lot to Utah’s water provide, the company notes.
Almost half of the state’s 45 largest reservoirs are at present listed at under 55% capability. There are 5 streams additionally at file low flows in the intervening time.
In the meantime, the Nice Salt Lake’s elevation has fallen to 4,189.8 toes — down one other 0.3 toes because it reached a brand new all-time low within the first week of July.
Utah water officers are nonetheless asking residents to scale back as a lot water consumption as potential. Tips about easy methods to do that may be discovered at SlowtheFlow.org.