Today, I signed an executive order declaring a statewide drought emergency. This activates Utah’s emergency response plan and helps state agencies coordinate drought response across the state.
All 29 counties are in severe drought, 22 counties are in extreme drought, and water supply forecasts are well below normal.
The good news is that Utah has spent years preparing for dry years by investing in reservoirs, conservation, and planning. Statewide reservoir storage is currently at 70% of capacity, but what we see in our reservoirs today is what we have.
I’m grateful to Utahns who have already cut back, to cities and water districts leading by example, and to our farmers and ranchers who are often the first to have their water supply reduced. Through the Agricultural Water Optimization Program, producers have invested more than $50 million of their own funds to improve water use and help protect Utah’s water resources and food supply.
We have enough water to get through this year if we treat every gallon like the finite resource it is. Please follow Utah’s weekly lawn watering guide, reduce outdoor water use, fix irrigation leaks, and avoid watering pavement.
Following the Box Elder County Commission's decision to enter into an agreement to bring a large-scale data center to the county, state leaders and residents have expressed a wide variety of opinions.
abc4.com/news/northern-…