Water Supply Update (4)

Water managers receive May 1 water supply projections for the coming summer. No outside watering beween 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. recommended.

May 9, 2001

During early April the snowpack in Little Cottonwood Canyon increased, resulting in projections of nearly normal run-off from this canyon stream.

(Weber County) -- Described as the Allan Greenspan of snow, Randy Julander, snow survey supervisor for the Natural Resource Service, gave a snowpack status report to an assembled group of water mangers at the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District office. His message gave the water managers little solace. “April this year was a good month for snow, but it made little difference in making up for the lower than normal winter,” said Julander.  In other words, most of the northern part of the state remains below normal.  Normally at this time of year, the snowpack is melting, converting the snow into stream run-off.  Julander showed various hydrographs depicting the snowpack to normal -- all of the basins are lower this year than average, and the run-off is earlier than normal.  Julander said that about one-third to one-half of the snowpack on the Provo River Basin has already melted.  North of Utah things are much worse. The northwestern states are classified as being in a drought, with the most northern part of Utah on the edge of the drought.

Brian McInerney, National Weather Service, told the group that April was wetter, but it didn’t build water volume in the watersheds. Projected run-off volumes vary from the southern part of the state to the northern part. The southeast region is projected to have a 115 percent of normal run-off, the Virgin River 75 percent, Provo River 45 percent, the Weber River 45 percent and the Bear River 35 percent.

One bright spot is the amount of run-off projected from the six canyons east of Salt Lake that are projected to produce a 70 percent of normal run-off. This is especially good news for Salt Lake City, which receives 60 percent of its water supply from City Creek, Parleys, Big and Little Cottonwood creeks.  “Everything in the Provo River – Utah Lake – Jordan River drainage dropped, except the 6 canyons,” said McInerney.  The storms in early April pushed the snowpack to near normal levels in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, to the glee of skiers and Salt Lake water managers. The Snowbird SNOTEL station gained 15 inches equivalent water in the first two weeks of April from 21 inches to 36 inches.

The disparaging news is the amount of Provo River Project water in Deer Creek Reservoir. According to Keith Denos, Manager of the Provo River Water Users Association, the amount of water in Deer Creek Reservoir for shareholders still remains around 100,000 acre-feet. Normally the reservoir fills with 150,000 acre-feet of water that allows for a 50,000 acre-foot carry-over.   If it’s all used this year, there would be no water carried over for next year to protect against another dry year. In February shareholders were notified of only a 60 percent allotment. This has been raised to 70 percent reflecting, the wetter April and improved snowpack.  Until the run-off is over, the amount of water available in Deer Creek Reservoir is uncertain.  This may not be known until late June or July. At that time the shareholders will know for certain how much water will be available.  The amount of water in Deer Creek Reservoir has an enormous impact on municipal water deliveries within Salt Lake County. Stored water in Deer Creek Reservoir is needed to meet high water demand during the late summer months of July and August, when the canyon streams diminish in flow.

Dave Ovard, General Manager of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, summarized the meeting as President of the Utah Water Users Association. “The snowpack is marginal this year. It could be a very difficult year (for water supplies),” said Ovard.  “ We’ll have to take it day by day – week by week.” Ovard expressed concern that we will go into the next water year with reduced reservoir storage.

Salt Lake City is asking its customers in Salt Lake City and unincorporated eastern Salt Lake County to not water from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and reduce their outside watering by 20 percent.  Norm Stauffer, Division of Water Resources, said “Watering restrictions during the day is an effective method of saving water. Water suppliers who have used this have realized water savings up to 15 percent.”  He urged the use of this water conservation tool to reduce water demand this summer.