Water Supply Update

Lower than normal snowpack requires water conservation measures

March 22, 2001

On March 12, 2001 a meeting was held at the National Weather Service, where water officials along the Wasatch Front were briefed on the current snowpack measurements and projected run-off volumes.  What they heard was not good news.

Precipitation and snowpack measurements in the northern part of the western United States are lower than normal. Utah is under the influence of a mild La-Niña, with the storms going south, leaving the north drier than normal.  In Utah the dividing line is about Richfield, Utah.  Snowpack measurements below that line are over 100 percent of normal and above that line are below normal, at about 60 percent.  The Bear River drainage is 62 percent, Weber drainage 70 percent and Utah Lake drainage 61 percent.

Water volumes will be lower than normal in northern Utah, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Hydro-electric power generation in the northwest will most likely be affected, perhaps aggravating the California and western power problems.

Salt Lake City is located in the Utah Lake drainage. Its water sources are the Wasatch Canyon streams that provide approximately 60 percent of the supply and stored water in Deer Creek reservoir that impounds water from Provo, Weber and Duchesne river diversions. The watersheds feeding Deer Creek reservoir are only 58 percent of normal.  The Wasatch Canyon watershed snowpack measurements are 77 percent of normal.

Projected snowmelt run-off volumes into Deer Creek reservoir are expected to be 57 per cent of normal and the Wasatch Canyon streams about 75 percent of normal. 

All of the participating weather agency experts, including Randy Julander, NRCS; Brian McInerney, National Weather Service; Jared Hansen, Bureau of Reclamation; Don Jensen, Office of the State Climatologist; and Bing Loving, USGS, report similar scenarios of a low water year in the north and above average in the south. Randy Julander expressed hope that the situation could turn around but felt that “we didn’t have a chance” of this happening.

The Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy (MWDSLS) owns 61.7 per cent of the stock in the Provo River Water Users Association, (PRWUA) which operates the project. The PRWUA has written a notice that there will only be a 60 per cent allotment this year.  This is the first time since 1961 that there has not been a 100 percent allotment. This will reduce the amount of water available to Salt Lake City from MWDSLS. 

On March 21, 2001 water agencies along the Wasatch Front met to develop a Wasatch Front strategy. If conditions remain the same, just about every water agency will have some sort of problem this year.  Everyone along the Wasatch Front is encouraged to use water wisely and conserve as much as possible.

Salt Lake City is anticipating that outside watering will have to be reduced 25 percent this summer to keep within the 60 percent allotment from Deer Creek Reservoir.

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