Statewide snow water equivalent (SWE), or how much water would be in the snowpack if it melted, peaked at 12 inches. This is 75% of the typical median peak of 16 inches for our water year.
Twenty-two of Utah’s largest 45 reservoirs are below 55% of available capacity. Overall statewide storage is 60% of capacity. This time last year, reservoirs were about 67% of capacity.
Of the 96 measured streams, 56 are flowing below normal despite spring runoff. Two streams are flowing at record low conditions.
Weber Basin Water Conservancy District has received very little new storage during the last two years and is expected to receive very little again this year. To mitigate the effects of the drought on their storage reservoirs, they have reduced the amount of water they intend to deliver to contract holders this year. They are also purchasing 5,000 acre-feet of Echo shares from users on the Provo River and about 14,000 acre-feet from Deer Creek water users. The delivery of this water into Weber Basin’s reservoirs will be accomplished by modifying the operation of the Weber-Provo Canal.
