Utah Lake joins 32 reservoirs in dropping below 55% in drought fox13now.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from fox13now.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
SALT LAKE CITY The percentage of Utah inside the U.S. Drought Monitor s exceptional category fell for the first time in months as monsoonal rains poured over southern Utah.
While that s good news, nearly the entire state still finds itself in extreme drought status despite precipitation totals severe enough to cause flooding.
About 52% of the state remains in the Drought Monitor s exceptional category, according to its report Thursday. That s compared to 70% last week and 57% three months ago. A little more than 98% remains in at least extreme drought status down from 99% last week and the remaining portion of the state remains in at least a severe drought, according to the agency.
Health officials in northern Utah continue to warn visitors to Mantua Reservoir that toxic blooms of slimy, blue-green algae have returned to the popular summer recreation spot in Sardine Canyon.
Earlier this month, the Bear River Health Department issued a warning advisory for the reservoir located near the Box Elder-Cache county line, informing people that water samples taken from the northeast boat ramp and along the north shore contained concentrations of cyanobacteria that were more than 11 times greater than what the Utah Division of Water Quality deems safe. A subsequent test on July 21 reaffirmed the findings.
Cyanobacteria are microorganisms that are a natural part of fresh water ecosystems but under certain conditions can multiple rapidly, creating scums and blooms on the waterâs surface and along shorelines. The bacteria typically thrive during summer months, their growth fueled by a combination of sunlight, slow-moving water and excess nutrients (phosphorus and nit
What is 1 benefit of drought in West? You can catch more fish in Utah deseret.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from deseret.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.