SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's once-dire drought status, which sparked concern across the state just months ago, has vastly improved thanks to fall storms.
In its latest drought update, the Utah Division of Water Resources said the fall precipitation increased the state's reservoirs by about 5 percent, which the agency called "unprecedented."
As of Thursday, 64 percent of Utah is in Moderate drought status, down from 91 percent last month. Just over 29 percent of the state is now in Severe drought, which stood at 93 percent three months ago.
October storms brought five times the normal amount of precipitation to Utah. The Natural Resources Conservation Service reported that 11 monitoring sites in the state received record-high amounts of precipitation last month, and 21 sites hit their second-highest readings.
Statewide reservoir storage currently stands at 51 percent, just five percent lower than normal. The Great Salt Lake rose about 4 inches, and Lake Powell gained 20 feet in elevation in four weeks.
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State officials believe the saturation levels have set the foundation for next spring's runoff, allowing water to flow into streams and reservoirs instead of soaking into the ground.