“So, the idea of running out of water is a tough question. “Salt Lake City is probably not going to run out of water in the way that it is not available to the taps, but we are running out of water and having related impacts on air quality with the Great Salt Lake shrinking,” he says. In July 2021, ABC4 covered Echo, a small town in Summit County, and their desperate search for water when their source dried up. According to Brooks, communities like Oakley have had to put a cap on growth due to lack of water and, according to Kopp, some more remote communities in Utah have historically had to truck in drinking water during particularly dry periods. ![]() “All you have to do is go back to last summer and see that a couple of small communities just east of Salt Lake City either ran out of water or had to curtail building permits because they couldn’t guarantee enough water to supply new homes.” “We’re already running out of water,” says Paul Brooks, director of the Hydrology and Water Resources Graduate Certificate Program at the University of Utah. According to experts, though, the complex answer doesn’t make the question any less worthwhile. We’re likely asking this question in our heads, but it’s one that is so scary and apocalyptic we might be avoiding saying it aloud. Is it possible we’ll actually run out of water in Utah? This made relying on snowpack as a drought-ending silver bullet seem more and more like a pipe dream. While a particularly wet December gave Utahns a beacon of hope after plentiful snowfall resulted in a downgrading of the entirety of the state from the ‘exceptional drought’ category, the rollercoaster ride continued with a relatively dry January and February. Drought Monitor, Utah’s current dry spell - which began in spring 2020 - has been the most intense in the state’s history. “We should have been thinking about this more carefully decades ago.”Īnd indeed, as of press time, the majority of Utah is classified as being in the “severe drought” category, with about 33% of the state in “extreme drought.” According to the U.S. “I spend a lot of my time worrying, frankly, and being concerned about our current situation,” says Kelly Kopp, a water conservation specialist and professor at Utah State University. In interest of not mincing words, experts say it’s getting quite dire. And in Utah - where our high desert climate isn’t conducive to bountiful water resources in the first place - our increasing population is poised to put even more of a strain on this finite resource.īut, what is the reality of our water situation? A recent study that was heavily documented by local and national news outlets alike suggests that this dry spell is, in fact, the worst in at least 1,200 years. ![]() ![]() These cool and extreme natural escapes are worth the adventure and fun every thrill seeker should visit.UTAH (ABC4) – With reservoir supplies dwindling, unprecedented heat waves, and a drier than average winter, it’s no secret that Utah is feeling the effects of our current drought. Offering the privacy and the picturesque scenery that goes beyond your normal expectations, these secluded and enigmatic destinations will surely make your vacation remarkable. These destinations stretch from the coasts of California, traversing through the Canadian borders, and hops through every state along the way. Most people would just stick to the common destination and not think that the US has secret swimming holes that are worth visiting. These famous getaway spots have made it to the bucket list everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.īut many people often forget how naturally diverse the country is because of its enormous size. We might be familiar with famous destinations such as Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, Nantucket in Massachusetts, Kauna’oa Bay in Hawaii, or Clearwater Beach in Florida. The US abounds with great places to visit during summer and many people spend their time in sunny beaches across the country.
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