I’ve always herd, the reigns in Spain fall mainly on the plane
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If you are going to be pedantic you should spell it using the preferred spelling where floodplain is one word rather than two. This is a university related community after all. 
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Just three months ago scientists issued a report with a dire warning: Utah’s Great Salt Lake, after decades of drying that had only accelerated in recent years, was on track to disappear in five years. Now a record snowpack, fueled by more than 800 inches of snow during the season in some locations, offers a glimmer of hope for the Western Hemisphere’s largest salt water lake and an important economic driver for the state.
The Great Salt Lake reached its record low in November when it dipped to 4,188.6 feet above sea level, having lost more than 70 percent of its water since 1850 according to the report published in January by researchers at Brigham Young University. As of Wednesday, however, the lake had risen three feet in a little more than five months, primarily because of snow and rain dumped directly into the lake by a season-long series of water-loaded storms. Salt Lake City has seen its seventh snowiest season on record and among the most snow of any major U.S. city, with 87.3 inches.
The rising lake level is cause for both celebration and caution.
“While we celebrate our progress, we must continue to prioritize water conservation efforts and make sustainable water management decisions for the future of this vital ecosystem and for water users throughout the basin,” said Candice Hasenyager, director of the Utah Division of Water Resources, in an email.
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Also, speaking of water and alfafa farming
Farms in western Arizona are growing alfalfa – one of the most water-intensive crops – in an area where there’s a shortage of water. Some farms are foreign-owned and are shipping the crop to Saudi Arabia, where it’s illegal to grow because it takes too much water.
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This is Utah legislature’s wet dream.
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Wouldn’t be a bit surprised if some Arizona politician’s pockets were lined in this deal.
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This post did not age well.
FTFO!
We are still in a drought. And in parts of Utah it is still in “severe” drought.
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Why not?
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Hopefully the projected El Niño will take care of the rest.
FTFO!
Face The Facts Orenthal!
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Because Utah had the 10th wettest winter in recorded history with a projected El Niño for winter 2023-2024? Do El Niño winters not mean a lot of rain in Utah as they do in CA?
FTFO!
Maybe. Maybe not. Article from several years ago, but it addresses the odds of a wet winter.
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One great, wet winter doesn’t make, and has not made, the drought go away. Just as California, while the reservoirs are full, the drought persists because the ground water table is so low.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy about this past winter, but we need a lot more, especially here in Utah.
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Ding dong. One season doesn’t mean any of that is not still true. You must be an Orange Co. GOPer.
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This is a sobering article. NYT reporters have amassed data on groundwater levels throughout the country. It came from a variety of sources, federal, state and local. Some of the data goes back a hundred years. Some is gathered by satellite. Surprisingly, there is no central depository for the information.
As you would guess, we are significantly depleting our aquifers, come to the point where they are settling, or collapsing, including in Enoch, UT. Serious depletion is happening in surprising places like eastern Maryland.
The gist of the articles is that there are few policies anywhere That address this problem. Aquifers do not refill quickly. In, some, levels are getting lower where heavy metals like arsenic are found. Aquifers in coastal areas are seeing increasing levels of seawater seepage.
Farmers in some areas, like western Kansas, are already suffering reduced crop output because they can’t pump enough water. They need financial resources to help make transitions. Developers say it is up to governments to address the problem, not them, and most governments are reluctant to take significant steps.
We are getting closer to a crisis stage.
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Oof. No bueno.
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This is enraging. Acknowledging a serious problem but passing the buck because it costs money. I hate this political climate.
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I don’t even like to drive through Utah County. Still, like Salt Lake City, Provo seems to be a blue dot in that county. They’re doing some interesting things with their aquifers. I first heard about this from a progressive farmer in South Sanpete County. (Yes, such people do exist.)
Provo is going underground to store millions of gallons of water.
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Uncle Google took me here. Is this encouraging? I am only beginning to learn about water.
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