Cox issues another executive order to combat ongoing drought Cox issues another executive order to combat ongoing drought and last updated 2021-05-13 23:58:47-04 MURRAY, Utah â Utah Governor Spencer Cox declares another State of Emergency to because of extreme drought conditions. This time, to continue helping victims get federal help. Utahns can expect new water restrictions and strict enforcement. â[The conditions] are actually pretty bad,â said Water Resources Drought Coordinator Laura Haskell. Only 81 percent of normal snowfall, coupled with historically dry soil, means even less snowmelt makes it to our rivers. Water Resources Drought coordinator Laura Haskell says now is the time to take action so we have enough water left this summer. More than 90 percent of Utah is classified as being in an extreme drought.