Drought Reveals Forgotten Utah Ghost Town

Drought in recent years has revealed a forgotten Utah Ghost Town called Rockport, a 19tg century settlement, which includes several structures and inhabitants.

By the mid-20th century, the life of the town became short-lived when the US government decided to destroy it by making Rockport a water reservoir of the same name.

Rockport Reservoir's receding water levels revealed the long-lost ghost town.

Over the past several years, the said natural disaster has persisted in the Western US, and available weather and climatic data shows the drought is not going anytime soon.

Unlike other weather systems, droughts are harder to predict or forecast, including how long a particular one will last in a given area or region.

Utah Ghost Town

(Photo : Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Rockport was settled in 1860, and it was initially called Crandall, according to the non-profit organization Lagoon History Project, as cited by Deseret News.

Within a year, the town's name was altered again into Enoch City, but received its current name after 1866.

However, it was only less than 100 years when the Utah ghost town will stand.

US government officials decided if they would develop Rockport or not as a reservoir.

In 1952, the officials decided to dissolve and flood the small town for a reservoir.

The town included few structures such as a chapel, a schoolhouse, and some houses.

It was discovered during the 2021 drought due to the low levels in Rockport Reservoir, which holds the forgotten town, USA Today reported.

Also Read: Ancient Spanish Village Once Lost in Decades Becomes a Tourist Attraction

US Drought

Drought has been recurring in the US, especially in the American West and its Southwest region.

In 2022, scientists confirmed the presence of a 1200-year-old megadrought in the southwestern part of North America.

The said extreme phenomenon characterized by relative prolonged, hot temperatures, and dry conditions, has been around since the year 800 AD.

On March 7, the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) stated that 31.45% of the US and Puerto, as well as 37.65% of the Lower 48 states is experiencing drought.

It emphasized that different areas of the West have cold, record-breaking precipitation, while the Southeast saw record warmth and new dryness or drought.

Drying Water Reservoirs

For decades bodies of water and water reservoirs, including both natural and man-made, have been susceptible to the repercussions of drought.

The issue is crucial since millions of people in North America are relying on these so-called 'water storages' for daily needs.

In the US, the said megadrought has led to the dropping of water levels at Lake Mead by around 170 feet since 2000, CNN reported in December 2022.

Another dried-up reservoir is Lake Mead, which is located along the Arizona-Nevada border and is contained by Hoover Dam.

Filled in the 1980s and 1990s, Lake Mead was almost full in 2000 and reaching the spillway gates.

However, the megadrought over the past 23 years has aggravated the water deficit and left the reservoir about 70% empty, as cited by the Los Angeles Times.

If the current drought rate continues, revelations about long-lost communities similar to the Utah ghost town could occur again.

Related Article: Drought Leaves Reservoir Barren, Resulting in a Ghost Village in Spain