Drought was the topic of discussion for Gov. Spencer Cox’s town hall on Tuesday.
Cox said Utahns need to be aware of extreme drought conditions and do their part to be careful at a virtual town hall meeting.
“Everywhere in the state really is just a tinderbox and we need people to be extremely careful," he said. "Especially when there are high winds, hot temperatures, rocky terrain, that kind of describes every day right now. It is just hot, windy, and dry.”
According to the governor, Utah’s soil moisture content is the lowest it’s been in the 15 years it’s been monitored.
He said cutting back on watering lawns is a great way to conserve water, even if the grass is not green. He also said every water district is a little different with their requirements, so it helps when people look at the guidelines specific to their area in the state.
Gov. Cox warned about fireworks and target shooting, since all areas are dry and one spark can do a lot of damage.
“The vegetation is so dry right now it almost reacts like toilet paper when you light it and it just kind of explodes and takes off," he said. "I would encourage you not to do fireworks this year, just save them for next year.”
He said to look for additional restrictions on fireworks in the state as the fourth of July approaches. Commercial fireworks shows will continue as they are done in conjunction with local fire departments.
