A long and difficult fire season.
Gary Herbert announced a state of emergency due to the extreme drought, calling on aid and assistance from the State Emergency Operations Plan.
Drought harms our industries, agriculture, recreation and wildlife, and it worsens wildfire conditions and air quality," Herbert said.
A dry period lasted for almost five years from 2012 to 2016 until heavy snowfall arrived in December 2016 and January 2017, according to a report from the Utah Drought Review and Reporting Committee.
If we all look for opportunities to conserve, we can keep a lot more water in our reservoirs, which will really help if we have another dry winter."
In agriculture, ranchers are selling their livestock due to loss of winter and summer pastures, according to the review report.
Officials reported at least 15 Utah ranchers applied for emergency livestock watering assistance for nearly 10,000 head of cattle as of Sept. 10.
Many municipal water systems have enough water for the next few years, according to the report.
Drought conditions also affect tourism in rural counties as people stop visiting depleting local reservoirs.
"Because of the extreme dry conditions, the risk of starting a fire is just as likely after the rain event as was before," the report stated.