HURRICANE, Utah — Stuart Stout runs Red Angus Ranch in Hurricane. It’s a farm he grew up on, but he admits that something is different this year.
"I just turned 50 so I've been farming out here my whole life and it's as dry for this time of year as I've ever seen it," Stout said.
Along with the customary Hurricane peach trees, Stout's farm grows alfalfa, hay and wheat... all of which he should have planted by now.
"We have not had any significant rain since last spring," he explained. "I usually plant all my oats and spring forage in January, And I haven't planted yet because the ground's so dry.
Bob Evans explains how bad drought conditions currently are in Utah:
Stout’s not alone among southern Utah farmers. An agriculture expert with Utah State University said farmers down south are already stretching every drop of water they can.
"I think I'm probably in better shape than others. Some of my friends and neighbors that run cattle out on the Arizona strip here, they don't have any feed out there," Stout added.
Many water experts say agriculture is one of the largest water drains in the state.
"Conservation is definitely on the forefront of our minds and doing more with less is always in our thoughts and we try to be as efficient and productive as we can with less," said Stout.
Utah's snowpack is lacking, but Brek Bolton shows how relief may be coming:
The manager over all of Washington County’s water resources says efforts over the last few years means local reservoirs have enough storage to make it through at least this summer.
"One of the reasons why our reservoirs are so high right now is because of the water conservation that was done last year," explained Washington Co. Water Conservancy General Manager Zach Renstrom. "So it all gets together to make sure we're gonna have safe, reliable water this summer, even though this may be one of the driest winters we've ever had."
Stout said no matter what people say about farmers and water, people can't live without them.
"If we don't get the rain then we don't produce the food and the fiber that the society needs, and people don't think about where their food comes from anymore," he said. "I mean we're beyond the point of producing enough food in our little valley to support our population."
