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Show Eubank says 'worst' water scenario exists for county By PAUL CHALLIS BOUNTIFUL-Weather experts say it would take a very wet winter with heavy snow pack on the ground from November to March to replenish badly needed water supplies sup-plies in Davis County for use next summer. Weatherbank Meteorologist Mark Eubank said Davis County received 18.70 inches of precipitation precipita-tion during the last water year (from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30) for 70 percent of normal. "A good yearly average for Davis County would be 26.69 inches. in-ches. The rule of thumb would be anything less than 75 percent of normal is a period of drought. ' ' According to Eubank, the worst scenario for Davis County now exists ex-ists as 1990 was the fourth consecutive con-secutive year of below normal precipitation. "My computer tells me that the last four year average is 71 percent of normal for Davis County and that means drought conditions." Eubank added that no one really knows the future in weather forecasting, but his own prediction is that the weather pattern will change in January when low pressure systems will dominate. 'For the last couple of years we have been dominated by high pressure systems and have had long dry periods." He said that an El Ninjo weather pattern from South and Central America should dominate the western United States from the Pacific, and low pressure would mean a wet season for Utah. "A good, wet period would help and could provide as much as 120 percent of normal," he said. "It should be remembered though, it will take years for the water tables to get back to normal. You can't catch up with one good year, although al-though it would really help." Eubank stressed that it would be a "blessing" to have a wet water year but the reservoirs and other water sources are close to depleted. He is encouraged by the wet start of the month of November, but cautioned cau-tioned that many months last year started wet and then tapered off ending en-ding up dry. Mark Anderson, of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, concurred with Eubank saying the water year was extremely dry and the fourth in a row where precipitation precipita-tion was below normal. Anderson reported that only 16 percent of the water used by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District in 1989-90 came from spring runoff. Weber Basin services parts of Morgan, Summit, Davis and Weber counties and has in its storage capacity several reservoirs, ncluding Pine View and the Willard Bay. "You can only carry over so much before you get into trouble," he said. "In 1989-90 we depleted the storage considerably and another an-other dry year will result in severe water rationing. ' This past summer Weber Basin was forced to make some of their clients take Wednesday off for garden and lawn watering. "Another bad year would force us to restrict any outside watering and only use it for culinary purposes." Anderson said a good winter with a lot of snow would help the Weber Basin District remain operational next summer. "One good year won't bring us out of the woods but two or three in row would." Bill Alder at the National Weather Weath-er Service said the 90-day forecast calls for normal precipitation through December with below normal temperatures. The weather service's only Davis County checking station is in Farm-ington Farm-ington which reported 66 percent of normal for 1989-90 water year with 14.77 inches of precipitation. "I believe 125 percent above normal would be tremendous for Davis County and the entire state," Alder said. "Five or six months of heavy snow pack would make a significant difference." Alder was encouraged by recent storms which came early with some SEE WATER PAGE A-2 l I I .... I I I ' 1 I I If f -. I 8 i 1 " I Weathkerbank Meteorologist Mark Eubank measures snow during a storm last winter. Eubank predicts this winter after Jan. 1, 1991 will be dominated by low pressure systems and will be very wet and help replenish badly depleted water tables for Davis County. I don't think it is a secret to anybody that we need a good, wet year to avoid problems next summer," Alder said. Water CONT. FROM PG.A-1 snow in the higher elevations. "We need several storms of that nature this winter to make an impact," he added. He said the state is in its second month of the new water year and it has been dry in October but November is starting out on the right foot. |