Cache County drought not over yet
On Sept. 6, the National Integrated Drought Information System found that 100% of Cache County is facing a severe drought. Even with changing seasons and falling temperatures, the drought will continue into the winter.
“The Utah Climate Center is predicting a slight uptick in precipitation for this winter, so I’m hopeful that will be the case,” said Kelly Kopp, Utah State University Extension specialist and professor for plants, soils & climate. “It’s not likely to be enough to move us out of drought conditions.”
Additional precipitation in the winter can help increase the elevation level of the Great Salt Lake, refill reservoirs and improve the soil moisture levels.
Patrick Belmont, a USU professor and watershed sciences department head, explained that droughts can cause dust to enter the air. Once the dust is in the air, it will cover the snowpack and cause the snow to melt earlier than usual.
In response to the drought, Utah State has made decisions to help limit its water usage.
Kopp said USU Landscape Operations and Maintenance have reduced outdoor irrigation by 40% since 2021 through the use of irrigation technologies, landscape management practices and prioritizing watering of certain areas on campus.
Jim Huppi, the senior landscape architect at USU, said the university utilized technology through the irrigation controllers tied into weather stations.
The weather stations communicate the amount of precipitation received, which reduces the risk of overwatering any areas on campus.
But Huppi said with some systems close to 80 years old, not all of them have this updated technology.
“We are doing above average,” Huppi said. “We aren’t necessarily excellent because we just don’t have funding to update everything, but with what we do have, we are being very careful with how we use the water.”
Alexi Lamm, the USU sustainability coordinator, said the university has the opportunity to show best practices because they conduct research on this topic, and there are lots of people who want to learn about sustainability.
One way the university addresses this desire to learn is through USU Extension. The extension office provides learning opportunities and a variety of suggestions for people to reduce their water usage.
Their suggestions include switching to an ultra-low-flow showerhead, taking showers instead of baths, having cold water in the fridge instead of waiting for tap water to get cold, and only doing full loads of laundry.
The USU Extension website also includes livestock, crop and economic resources relating to drought.
“We are all operating in this society, and our actions impact other people and people who come after us,” Lamm said. “It’s important to think of sustainability in those terms because we care about our neighbors.”
Belmont believes a great way for students to address drought is by voicing concerns to people in power and engaging in politics through voting.
“I would guess the average USU student has a very small water footprint,” Belmont said. “Most other conversations we’re hearing about drought are not casting it in this bigger context of climate change and specifically, getting the fossil fuels turned off.”
Cristina Chirvasa, a USU junior, noted an individual’s impact on water usage is minimal. The majority of water in the state of Utah is used for agriculture.
“There are plenty of groups in Utah who are working to end drought that would appreciate any volunteers or involvement in their campaigns,” Chirvasa said. “If you want to engage in individual action, it certainly can’t hurt.”
-Carter.Ottley@usu.edu
Featured photo by Kate Smith