Latest news with #CandiceHasenyager
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Why should you wait to water your lawn, according to these Utah experts
After a normal statewide snowpack and storms impacting valleys, Utah water managers and other experts say most Utahns shouldn't have to water their lawns just yet. Residents can wait until about Mother's Day or when high temperatures regularly reach the 70s, said Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, in a state water conditions update last week. Washington and Grand counties are the only exceptions, per the division's weekly watering guide, as southwest and southeast Utah continue to deal with drought. 'Hold off on irrigating until your landscape needs it,' she said. Why wait? First, most grass is still waking up from the winter, thriving from recent storms and existing soil moisture from the last few months, says Kelly Kopp, a Utah State University professor and director of its Center for Water Efficient Landscaping. With more precipitation likely on the horizon, she agrees there isn't much need to water right now — aside from places like St. George, which are encouraged to use one irrigation per week at the moment. Second, holding off on watering has benefits beyond water conservation. Watering too early and often can hinder root growth, making lawns and plants prone to drought stress and other damage. When it's time to water later this year, experts recommend that residents follow the state's watering guide to maintain a healthy lawn. Many residents use twice as much water as they should when it comes to watering their lawn, Kopp said, referencing the thousands of water consumption audits she has helped oversee through USU's Water Check program — a program offering reviews of outdoor watering habits that's free for residents. She believes it's because many property owners associate discolorations and other similar issues with grass not receiving enough water, which often isn't the case. 'A lot of the time, what it actually needs is some fertilizer, and there's a little bit of a disconnection there,' she told after an event on water conservation on Tuesday. Other experts are thinking beyond this year's snowpack when it comes to watering. Utahns looking to save water can also consider switching to native plants and water-efficient grasses this spring, which can also reduce Utah's water demand, says Tage Flint, executive director of Utah Water Ways, a public-private water conservation nonprofit. USU-Extension has a list of water-wise plant recommendations, while the state offers other water-reduction tips online. Residents and businesses replaced about 3 million square feet of lawn with new water-efficient landscaping last year just through the Landscape Incentive Program, per the Utah Division of Water Resources. Those changes, facilitated by the state-led program, are expected to save more than 100 million gallons of water annually, while also cutting utilities costs for landowners. It's another solution to a situation that has made many Utahns feel uneasy. Envision Utah published a survey earlier this month, which found about three-fourths of all residents are at least a little concerned about the state's water situation but are also eager to learn about ways to address it. 'A little bit done by every (resident) in this state will actually add up to a significant amount,' Flint said, adding that it can send more water to ecosystems like the Great Salt Lake or it can help the state maintain a healthy water supply as it grows.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Extreme drought returns to parts of Utah as dry conditions intensify statewide
Extreme drought has returned to Utah for the first time in nearly two years, but a weekend storm could help parts of the state that have so far missed out on winter storms. Moderate drought conditions or worse now blanket about two-thirds of the state, which is up from about 40% last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly update on Thursday. It adds that about 8% of the state is in severe drought, while a little over 4% — covering large chunks of Washington and Iron counties — are in extreme drought. It's the first time that the Drought Monitor has listed any part of Utah in extreme drought since March 2023. Another 33% is listed as "abnormally dry," leaving just 1.3% of the state not listed in any drought category. Utah's new extreme drought is part of a larger drought growing across parts of Arizona, California and Nevada. Exceptional drought — the agency's worst drought category — returned this week to an area near Lake Mead. "Conditions are alarmingly dry, with dry soil and high fire danger," Lindsay Johnson, a climatologist for the National Drought Mitigation Center, wrote in an adjoining report. The update comes a day after the Washington County Water Conservancy District reported that St. George remains on pace for its driest winter since city records were first recorded in 1895, while the county is on pace for its lowest water year on record. Southwestern Utah's snowpack basin has only collected 1.4 inches of snow water equivalent since the water year began on Oct. 1, 19% of the median average for this point in the season, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service data. Washington County commissioners called on residents to reduce water consumption and pray for rain last month as the dry conditions continued into the new year. The basin's last significant boost came during Thanksgiving weekend. Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, told that the state is closely monitoring conditions, especially in central and southern Utah. Other snowpack basins within those regions ranged from 35%-79% of their respective median averages on Thursday. Snowpack basins along the Wasatch and northern Utah regions remain above 80%, thanks to storms that have passed through those regions more frequently this season. It's kept the statewide average at 78% of the first week of February normal. The number is also expected to increase a bit as an incoming storm is forecast to provide a mix of rain and snow across the state between Friday and Saturday. KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said it's projected to deliver 2-6 inches of snow in the southern mountains. "It's not going to be a ton, but it is something," he said. What helps is that Utah's reservoirs remain 78% full statewide, well above the February median average. However, many reservoirs in central and southern Utah could struggle to refill if dry conditions linger. Hasenyager said the state will continue to push conservation messages as the drought intensifies. 'That's always part of our efforts — to make sure we're managing our water supplies as wisely as possible,' she said. 'We need to do that whether we're in drought or not, but it definitely becomes more important when we're in low water supply conditions.'
