Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert issued an Executive Order declaring a state of emergency due to drought on Monday. Officials said they’ve not seen a drought of this level in several years. Melissa Allison has more:
Monday’s press release quotes Governor Gary R. Herbert saying, “The rainfall we have received helps, but the drought is at a level unseen for many years and will not be solved with a small series of storms. In some areas, the drought is at, or near, historic levels,” Gov. Herbert said. “Such difficult conditions are harming the quality of life and the livelihoods of many Utah families and agricultural producers. The ramifications of drought extend beyond our depleted water supply. Drought harms our industries, agriculture, recreation and wildlife, and it worsens wildfire conditions and air quality.”
Box Elder, Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan and Wayne counties have also declared emergency drought disasters.
Governor Herbert asks Utahns to conserve water by fixing any leaks, only running dishwashers or washing machines when they are full, turning off the water while brushing teeth and reducing showers by at least one minute.
The Utah Drought Review and Reporting Committee (DRRC) was reactivated last month – something that hasn’t happened in about ten years.
Chairman Mike Styler who is also the executive director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), recommended the declaration to the governor and said, “This declaration opens doors for the Utah families and industries most harmed by this drought. Hopefully, it’s also an eye opener for the rest of us, and we’re encouraged to do our part,”
He goes on to said, “We can’t control precipitation, but we can find opportunities to decrease our water use all year long. If we all look for opportunities to conserve, we can keep a lot more water in our reservoirs, which will really help if we have another dry winter.”
All 29 counties in Utah are experiencing some level of drought.
I’m Melissa Allison, KCPW News.