Utah’s Water Storage Continues to Decline in ‘04

Water reservoirs dip to 34 percent of capacity

LeRoy W. Hooton, Jr.

October 8, 2004

Data provided by Randy Julander, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Office Snow Supervisor.

At the end of the 2003-04 water year, data show another year of declining water storage in Utah’s reservoirs.  On October 1, 2004 water storage was 1.8 million acre-feet, down 164,500 acre-feet from last year’s storage. When full, the state’s total storage capacity is 5.5 million acre-feet (excluding Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell reservoirs).  Even though the state’s stored water continued to decline over the past water year, the rate of decline was held to only 2 percent compared to 8 to 14 percent per year during the past 5 years. Water conservation and a wetter and milder summer are credited for slowing the drain on reservoir storage. 

Notwithstanding the slower drain of water reserves, many of the state’s reservoirs lost storage, and some are reaching severe conditions. Most notable is Bear Lake, which ended the year with zero usable storage. Since 1999 Bear Lake lost 1.4 million acre-feet of stored water. Likewise, three other smaller reservoirs, Gunnison, Minersville and Lower Enterprise were drained on October 1.

In the Provo River – Utah Lake – Jordan River Drainage all of the major reservoirs lost water during the past year. Jordanelle Reservoir lost 32,100 acre-feet; Deer Creek Reservoir 3,500 acre-feet; and Utah Lake 37,400 acre-feet of stored water. Compared to capacity, Jordanelle, Deer Creek and Utah Lake were respectively 68, 50 and 34 percent full at the end of the water year. Little Dell – Mt. Dell reservoirs lost 7 percent of their reserves during the water year, with 15,302 acre-feet in storage remaining on October 1. Water levels in Utah Lake became critically low at the end of the irrigation season on October 1 at 7 feet below compromise.

Reservoir storage in the Weber Basin improved during the past year. Rockport, Echo, East Canyon and Pineview all showed increases in stored water.  Only Willard Bay experienced a substantial decrease from 45,000 acre-feet in 2003 to 24,400 acre-feet in 2004. However, compared to full capacity, Weber Basin reservoirs are still well below normal. Rockport is the highest at 77 percent; Lost Creek and Willard Bay are the lowest at 10 and 11 percent respectively. 

Overall water storage in the Uintah Basin remained about the same during the past year with some of the reservoirs showing decreases. Water year end storage for Currant Creek is 98 percent; Stravation 54 percent; and Red Fleet 46 percent of normal.  Strawberry Reservior lost 36,300 acre-feet of water during the past year and is currently 68 percent full with 756,000 acre-feet of water in storage. Strawberry Reservoir is part of the Central Utah Project that supplies water to the Wasatch Front.

Drawing the greatest attention is Lake Powell on the Colorado River. In 1999 Lake Powell was nearly full at 24 million acre-feet. Five years later on October 1, the water volume was reduced to 9.2 million acre-feet or 38 percent of capacity. The water level in Lake Powell has

Water storage on the mainstem system of the Colorado River affects over 25 million people, power generation and agriculture in the Colorado Basin in western U.S. Declining storage in Lake Powell and Lake Mead could lead to water disputes between the various states depending on water from the river.

been drawn down by Reclamation’s water deliveries to Lower Basin contractors during the current 5 year drought. The appearance of lengthening bath tub rings on Lake Mead and Lake Powell has spurred concern over the ability of the Colorado River to meet the water needs of the various water users on the river.  There are murmurs by some that the “Law of the River” needs an overhaul.  On the other hand, Bureau of Reclamation Commission Keys avers that the storage system is working as planned. “The reservoirs are doing their job during the drought,” exclaimed Commission Keys at last year’s Colorado River Water Users Association meeting held in Las Vegas.

The question is whether the drought is over and reservoirs will begin to refill , or if this is part of an extended drought that may last for years.  Utah’s storage reservoirs are only one-third full as we look to a new water year. Another year of drought could stress already depleted stored water supplies in certain reservoirs to dangerously low levels.

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