Water levels in Utah reservoirs are dropping, but where is the water going?

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Water levels in Utah reservoirs are dropping, but where is the water going?

PARK CITY, Utah (

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) — Utahns visiting any of the state’s reservoirs over recent weeks to recreate or beat the heat may have noticed the water levels have been dropping.

After a steady increase since October of last year to 90% capacity in July, all of the state’s reservoirs – excluding Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge – have

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capacity as of Sept. 5. The Echo Reservoir alone, located just north of Park City, has dropped nearly 40% from its peak in the same timeframe.

While the sudden drop in water levels may be alarming, Michael Sanchez with the Utah Division of Water Resources said this drop is normal, especially this time of year.

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“This is due to increased demand and evaporation,” explained Sanchez. “When looking specifically at Echo Reservoir, you can see this same kind of drop when looking at the median [water levels].”

The Utah Division of Water Resources shows Echo Reservoir does see this same sudden drop-off when looking at the median drop-off. While its current level of 57% capacity seems shockingly low, the reservoir is still 16% above the median for this time of year.

Sanchez said the increased demand comes from the summer heat. Over the last few weeks, the Salt Lake City area has been dealing with record-high temperatures ranging from the low 90s to the low 100s. With the high heat, Sanchez said there is more of a need for Utah’s water.

“Our lawns and crops tend to need more water during these summer months,” said Sanchez. “We tend to draw our reservoirs down until around October when irrigation season ends.”

Should Utah’s reservoir trends continue, Utahns can expect to see reservoirs fill up across the state in October, as irrigation begins to slow down and winter weather starts to move in.

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