Utah has about 53% more snowpack than normal right now across the state. And the amount of water it holds is impressive, according to Candice Hasenyager, Director of the Utah Division of Water Resources.
“Our snowpack typically peaks in April, about 15 inches of water. And right now we're at 18,” Hasenyager said. “So we're already significantly over our typical peak, which is April 1, and we still have two months to go. And storms in the forecast.”
That’s good news for the second most arid state in the union. 95% of Utah’s water comes from snow. Last fall, 56% of Utah was in extreme drought. Now it’s just 4%, though Hasenyager said much of the state is still experiencing some degree of drought.
Hasenyager says the hope is that as much of the snowpack as possible makes it into reservoirs and the Great Salt Lake. Come spring, Utah needs an efficient runoff, which is a factor of soil moisture and temperature.
Hasenyager said soil moisture is up right now, which means water will not soak into the saturated ground and end up in reservoirs instead.
She hopes for a steady increase in temperature over the next few months. If the snow melts too quickly, there can be adverse effects.
“That can be good for our water supply situation, getting water to reservoirs, but it can also cause flooding,” she said. “And then on the other side, if it's really slow—or warms up, and then it freezes just because of the temperatures—it can reduce the runoff efficiency.”
Hasenyager said the Division of Water Resources expects many small reservoirs to reach capacity and spillover this spring. For other larger reservoirs, like the Jordanelle, it might take a few years.
When it comes to what individual Utahns can do, Hasenyager recommends watering less, so the state is prepared for the next extreme drought.
“Let Mother Nature do the hard work this spring, and let's wait to water [the lawn],” Hasenyager said. “That's really where we see the most of our water use is outside on our lawns and gardens.”
For tips on how to conserve water, and to see an up-to-date map of Utah’s snowpack, visit slowtheflow.org.
