Federal, state and municipal water officials warned Monday that, despite a second straight year of close-to-normal precipitation and snowpack along the Wasatch Front, significant portions of the state are still experiencing dry-to-drought conditions and Utahns must continue to be vigilant about conserving water as they head into the hottest time of the year.

"We've just come off a five-year drought, and some of us are resting easy because we've had a couple of good years," Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said during an afternoon press conference at the reservoir. "But weather patterns come in a rotation. We've had droughts in the past and we'll have them in the future."

Or, in the case of Lake Powell, the present. After an encouraging start to the water year (which began Oct. 1), the mammoth reservoir on the Utah-Arizona border will wind up with less than 75 percent of its normal runoff - and could still go lower - because of a warmer and drier than normal spring in the upper Colorado River Basin. Bureau of Reclamation officials projected as late as April that Powell would get close to its average amount of snowmelt (about 97 percent).

As of mid-June, Lake Powell's overall water level stood at 51 percent of capacity.

"The drought in the Colorado River Basin may not be over," Tom Ryan, the bureau's lead hydrologist for Lake Powell said in a statement. "It's common to have one or two above-average years in a multi-year drought."

As things stand, the west Colorado River Basin stands at drier than normal, while the Bear River Basin is still considered to be in a drought. The rest of the state's water supply is rated normal. But again, water officials cautioned that such rosy overall conditions should not lead residents to conclude that they can go back to their old extravagant ways when it comes to water use.

Dennis Strong, the state's new director for the Division of Water Resources, commended Utahns for reducing such use by 15 percent over the past decade.

"The drought helped us focus on water conservation," he said.

But Strong, Herbert and others added that there is still a long way to go. The state goal is to reduce overall per capita water use by 25 percent by 2050, preferably sooner. To achieve those goals, residents and businesses must continue to find ways to minimize their outdoor water use through more efficient, drought-resistant landscaping. And state, county and municipal officials must continue to encourage a shift to water fees based on use.

"We've seen improvements, but there needs to be more. We're not going away," said Bart Forsyth, assistant general manager of the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District.

jbaird@sltrib.com

Water-saving tips

* Sweep driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of hosing them off.

* Water lawn brown spots with a hose instead of increasing irrigation time on timers.

Source: Utah Division of Water Resources

Water-saving tips

* Add more days between regular waterings. Allowing lawns to dry out between watering creates deeper roots, enabling you to water less often.

* Remove weeds from garden, reducing excess water consumption from plant competition.

* Fix leaky fixtures inside and out, including sprinkler heads, plumbing fixtures and faucets.

Source: Utah Division of Water Resources