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Recent storms help Utah make headway against extreme drought conditions

An empty dock at the Great Salt Lake with the water level just below it
Alex Cabrero
/
KSL
An empty dock at the Great Salt Lake, previously floating in mud, now floats in water

Utah is starting to make headway in the ongoing battle against drought. The consistency of storms in the last two months have brought Utah’s snowpack water level to about 190% of normal, putting 2023 on pace to rank among one of the best years in history for the amount of water in Utah’s snow.

With March and April, the historically wettest months in the state, still ahead, this brings hope for those working to combat drought conditions, though one good year cannot make up for many years of drought.

The Great Salt Lake has seen some benefit from the winter weather, up a foot from its historic low last November, but it may not reap all the benefits of the recent storms, as runoff water will replenish reservoirs before it reaches the lake. It is also still in danger because of low water levels and will need serious efforts to reverse the overall shrinking trend.

Duck is a general reporter and weekend announcer at UPR, and is studying broadcast journalism and disability studies at USU. They grew up in northern Colorado before moving to Logan in 2018, so the Rocky Mountain life is all they know. Free time is generally spent with their dog, Monty, listening to podcasts, reading or wishing they could be outside more.