As a staff reporter for my student news organization, I wrote a feature story on the extreme drought conditions in Utah. In addition to interviewing six sources, I included compelling visuals highlighting the severeness of the drought in Utah. I included a picture of a boat floating in the low Pineview Reservoir and one of my sources provided me with pictures of the dry Great Salt Lake.
My story reached 285 people on Facebook.
Logo courtesy of The Forum
Utah drought concerns Westminster community
Staff Reporter
Madison Covington
Utah is in a state of emergency because of the current drought, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources Drought Frequently Asked Questions webpage. Some members of the Westminster College community said they notice the impacts of the drought.
“Climate change is a global problem with wide-reaching consequences,” said Environmental Center Communication Coordinator and junior biology major Harbor Larsen. “If you’ve noticed more grasshoppers on campus this year as I have, you have experienced an effect of this drought.”
As of March 17, Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency in response to the drought conditions through an Executive Order, according to the state-wide drought emergency.
Westminster College and the Environmental Center
Westminster College President Beth Dobkin said the college cut back on irrigation and waters at night. The college also plans to reduce future use of irrigation, according to Dobkin.
“When we have opportunities to change some of the landscaping to more drought resistant xeriscape, that’s where we’re headed,” Dobkin said.
Xeriscaping is a landscaping technique that uses drought-resistant plants and reduces the need for irrigation and watering.
Larsen said the Environmental Center planted native plants last year in front of Bassis Student Center as a first step to water conservation.
“Luckily the Westminster Environmental Center has not been directly affected by the drought, our garden is still growing and our volunteers and employees are hydrated,” Larsen said.
Larsen said he wants the campus to have drought resistant landscaping, which the Environmental Center “[…] will work tirelessly to implement.”
