By Briana Morgan
According to a new report, consecutive years of below-average rainfall have created one of the worst droughts in Utah?s recorded history.
Utah Foundation, a non-profit, advocacy research group, released their findings in a new report. Stephen Kroes, executive director of Utah Foundation said the drought is almost as bad as the drought during the dust bowl. The dust bowl was a severe, prolonged drought in the 1930?s.
?I don?t think this is worse than the dust bowl drought,? Kroes said. ?But you had to go back that far to find one that was at least as bad as this.?
The drought in the 1930?s created economic problems, agricultural hardship and low water levels. The current drought has created similar problems and concerned residents are trying to conserve.
Kroes said people conserve the water they use indoors, but many residents are neglecting conservation efforts outside.
?Two-thirds of our residential water is used outside the home,? he said.
Kroes said the high ratio reflects the water usage during Utah?s dry summer months. Utah is second in the nation in water use per capita because of high water usage during this time.
Mac McKee, director of the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University, said conservation is an issue of interest in the state.
?In Utah, generally, we use an enormous amount of water keeping Kentucky-blue grass green in the middle of the desert,? Mckee said. ?A lot of folks believe that is probably not the most rational thing to do in a drought. A lot of folks think it is not the most rational thing to do in a desert, for crying out loud.?
Nancy Hardman, conservation programs coordinator for central Utah, said the public should conserve water when possible, but should not tear out grass and shrubs and replace them with rocks and cactus. She also said there are specific ways students can conserve without taking such drastic measures.
?Students should just pay attention to the appliances they?ve got,? Hardman said. ?Students can change out shower heads and faucets with aerators, or things that use less water.?
Hardman said students should develop good habits like turning off the faucet when they brush their teeth or use front-loading washers. Also students living in apartments are also encouraged to tell maintenance crews when sprinklers are broken or when sprinkler systems are turned on for too long. Hardman said now that the weather is colder, sprinklers should be turned off or only used once a week.
For more information on the Utah Foundation?s report, visit their Web site at http://www.utahpriorities.net or for conservation information visit www.slowtheflow.org.