At this moment in history in which US reservoirs are experiencing water levels and droughts are becoming more common – with some hydrant water scarcities impacting a few response areas during the LA wildfires earlier this year – it can be a little baffling to know that authorities are currently releasing huge amounts of water from Lake Utah.
In fact, according to the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, 500 million gallons of water will be released from the lake every day over the next few weeks.
However the reason for this large-scale release is simple.
It is a flood prevention measure, and for one good reason.
As we creep into March, the snow on the mountains in Utah is beginning to melt, and if the lake isn’t drained in time, the results could be catastrophic.
By releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of water from Utah Lake, via the Jordan River, toward the Great Salt Lake, officials are actually redirecting the state’s water to an area where water is scarce, preventing flooding in the meantime.
And it is not the first time that they have taken such measures. In fact, the district did exactly the same last year.
This smooth plan means that water levels in the Great Salt Lake (which are lower than usual) are replenished, whilst flooding is prevented at Utah Lake, as Gene Shawcroft – the district’s general manager – explained to Salt Lake City news station KSL:
“Our job is to always have an eye on where water is now and where it needs to be. This is a way for us to be proactive for the spring runoff and do all we can to ensure water levels in Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake are healthy.”
Since Utah Lake is 96% full, these measures will avoid wide-scale flooding when the region’s snow melts and runs into the lake.
On the other end of the scale, the Great Salt Lake is 5 feet below the water level that it (and its ecosystems) require in order to remain healthy.
With the Jordan River feeding into the Great Salt Lake, it is logical that the overflow of water from Utah Lake should be sent to the struggling basin, with the overabundance of water in the latter channelled not only to relieve itself, but to account for the scarcity of water in the latter.
And with more snowpack in the region than is typical for this point in the year, at least in Utah the water supply is plentiful to redress this balance, keeping both lakes, their ecosystems and patrons, safe and healthy.
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