SALT LAKE CITY — Even though May didn't bring very much rain to Utah, water conditions still look good for the upcoming summer months, thanks to a wet winter and late mountain snow.
According to a Water and Climate Report for Utah released June 1 by the USDA, rainfall levels were well below normal in the state's valleys, ranging from no rainfall in the St. George area to 134 percent of normal in the Uinta region.
This means that soil saturation is very low, which is bad news for crops, and may produce dry conditions for wild fires.
But Utah's reservoirs are reported to be in "outstanding" shape, with storage over 90 percent statewide.
This is the highest it's been in over 15 years, with multiple basins at or close to capacity.
Yet according to the report, it's not all good news; the Great Salt Lake and Lake Powell still are well below where they need to be, with Lake Powell currently only at 36% of capacity.
And although the Great Salt Lake is six feet above its historic low from 2022, it's still three feet below its optimum level.
