It is unprecedented and it is worrisome.
So much so that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared a state of emergency due to the massive encroachment of drought impacting all the state’s more than 54 million acres.
The U.S. Drought Monitor puts 90% of Utah in the category of “extreme drought” and says that more than 2.7 million people in the state are impacted. Southern Utah recently elevated its drought to exceptional an even worse category.
“There’s really no reason for people to be watering lawns right now,” said Paul Monroe, general manager of the Central Iron County Water Conservancy District. “But when March 17 rolls around, everybody thinks their lawn should be green because of St. Patrick’s Day.”
DWR urges Utahns to hold off lawn watering
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AM News Brief: NASA s Jupiter Mission, Grand Canyon Entrance & Navajo Nation Remembers
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KSL TV
SALT LAKE CITY Even though recent storms covered Utah s mountains with snow, the state is still in a drought and conservationists have already warned about reduced water use in the spring and summer.
Water engineers told KSL there is, at best, a 15% chance of getting to the average snowpack this year. An even bigger concern is how dry the ground is right now.
Nobody ever said ranching was easy, at least nobody who has ever tried it.
This year, though, Mother Nature made it even more difficult. It s tough. The drought has been very challenging, said Brian Johnson. It s kind of the long game you ve got to play, and you have to be prepared.