Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson (R-Kaysville) says a l ot of work is being done during the legislative session on water issues. Photo credit: Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — At the end of April 2022, five counties in southern Utah are the only areas where it’s suggested to water the lawn.
The vast majority of counties in Utah should still wait to turn on their sprinkling systems, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources.
Why does it matter anyway? Utah has been in a drought for a decade, and this year, the snowpack is 25% below average.
A few days ago, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency due to continuing drought conditions. For the most part, the announcement is necessary to help farmers and others ask for help if they need it, but it serves as a good reminder for everybody who lives in the beautiful, high desert of Utah.
As he has done in the past, Gov. Cox is asking Utahns to do their part to conserve water.
“We’ve had a very volatile water year, and unfortunately, recent spring storms are not enough to make up the shortage in our snowpack,” Gov. Cox said. “Once again, I call on all Utahns – households, farmers, businesses, governments and other groups – to carefully consider their needs and reduce their water use. We saved billions of gallons last year, and we can do it again.”
One of the easiest ways is literally in our own backyard, by waiting to turn on sprinklers and then cutting back watering time as well as how many times each week we water.
The advice from Utah experts is wait as long as possible to water your lawn or until the temperatures are in the mid-70s for several consecutive days.
The Department of Natural Resources said a typical homeowner can save about 3,000 gallons of water simply by cutting back one watering session per week.
Aimee Cobabe contributed to this report.
Weekly watering guide provided by the Utah Division of Natural Resources, accessed online 04/27/2022. https://conservewater.utah.gov/weekly-lawn-watering-guide/