Gov. Spencer Cox issued an executive order, declaring a statewide drought emergency, citing a historically low snowpack, extreme heat and shrinking runoff which have pushed the state into one of the worst drought conditions in recent history.
The executive order warned that Utah's water outlook deteriorated rapidly after snowpack peaked nearly three weeks early at just 53% of the normal level, effectively classifying all 29 Utah counties in severe drought, with 22 of those counties experiencing extreme drought conditions. The order pushed for local water restrictions and for residents to actively conserve water before reservoir supplies drop further.
"The most sobering data, of course, comes from our snowpack, or the no-pack as it's been referred to," Cox said at a press conference at Little Dell Reservoir. "April 1 snowpack was just 2.7 inches of snow water equivalent, the lowest ever recorded since 1930."
Cox said further, every year's snowpack provides approximately 95% of Utah's water supply, acting as a checking account for water. He explained that the checking account is running low.
The executive order activates Utah's Emergency Operations Plan and directs state agencies to follow drought response measures, including statewide watering guidelines issued by the Utah Division of Water Resources.
According to Utah Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Joel Ferry, the drought has already begun affecting agricultural production, drinking water systems and wildfire risk across the state.
"We are here today because of the numbers," Ferry said at the press conference at Little Dell Reservoir. "Utah is in one of its worst droughts in history."
As of May 5, the Utah Division of Water Resources reported that statewide reservoir storage was at 71% of capacity. As of May 19, 100% of Utah was categorized as abnormally dry, 93.6% as in a severe drought, 58.86% as in an extreme drought and 0.89% as in an exceptional drought.
Director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities Laura Briefer thanked Salt Lake City residents for their continual efforts to conserve water, effectively decreasing demand by 25% since the year 2000, despite experiencing a 20% population growth. However, more still needs to be done.
"This year's extremely low snowpack, reduced runoff and the dire condition of the Great Salt Lake make it extremely clear that we must do more," she said. "Our goal is to reduce water demand by 10 to 25 million gallons per day during this drought."
This year, the reservoir will serve an equally critical role by capturing as much runoff as possible to help meet water demand amid this record-low snowpack and early runoff
Executive director of Utah Waterways, Tage Flint, urged residents to rethink traditional landscaping practices and to reduce lawn irrigation.
"We need to get below that 65% of all our residential water being used on our outdoor landscapes," Flint said. "It's just simply too high."
As drought conditions worsen, the Utah Division of Water Resources requests that residents implement water-saving tips given by Slow the Flow. Slow the Flow is an educational campaign that provides awareness and information to help Utah residents manage water.
Some of these tips include small changes, such as avoiding outdoor watering during the hottest parts of the day, repairing leaky faucets and running full loads of laundry.
"We can't control the weather, but we can control the taps," Cox said. "Let's make 2026 the year we prove once again Utah's resilience is deeper than any drought."
Long-term conservation efforts will be critical to preserving reservoir storage, protecting the Great Salt Lake and helping communities across the state adapt to increasingly unpredictable water conditions in the years ahead.