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Show Matheson Warns Utahns On Water Conservancv Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson is advising Utah's residents to begin water conservation practices now to delay the likelihood of severe rationing in many sections of the state later in the summer. "Nobody is crying wolf," said the governor, "the threat is serious and citizens may be lulled by the deceptiveness of some recent storms. The precipitation amounts are probably not even good enough to bring the state up to the lowest figures on record." Mountain snowpacks are still well below average and the water contest of the snow Is even less than usual. Much of the run-off will seep into the dry soils before it can reach the creeks and rivers which supply our water needs. "Utah Lake contains water whlfh ic rtr!Mft tn agricultural and industrial use," said Matheson, "and the Great Salt Lake is useless in helping us out of the drought." Utah's populations centers are too far away from Flaming Gorge to obtain any benefit from that water supply and Lake Powell's water is not Intended for use in this state because there's no way to retrieve it. Some of the state's smaller reservoirs will not fill this year, while other important reservoirs are below the level of a year ago. March is the time of the year where the state should have 87 percent of its average snow water; this year the state is at 27 percent. The month of I February offered no help, spring and summer streamflow forecasts have been revised downward by as much as 20 percent. Utah communities which depend on natural streamflow will be particularly hard hit. Some of the streams which do not have any reservoir storage will dry up before the end of the summer unless record amounts of rain and snow are deposited - - MB. IM 0f months. Extra pumping of wells is expected to make serious dents in municipal budgets and if that source of supplemental water is over used, there is the possibility of drastically lowering the water table, especially if the drought continues into next year. The governor's water advisors are suggesting strict voluntary conservation of water In the event the drought does not end. "If we conserve water In our reservoirs and the underground supplies," says Matheson, "it can only contribute to the welfare of our citizens should the present cycle continue." |