Drought and high temperatures have created unique concerns for the plants, animals and people at Antelope Island State Park.

"The drought has had a huge impact out here on the island," said park naturalist Crystal Carpenter.

Because of the unusually hot spring, some early flowers bloomed for only one week, she said. As a result, the main foraging food of many grazing animals on the island in the Great Salt Lake has run out, and those animals are already resorting to eating shrubs.

"Many animals rely on the shrubs to get them through the winter," Carpenter said. "But because they are already eating them, some of the shrubs have died, making a high fire danger on the island."

Another concern is the water supply. According to Carpenter, several of the springs on the island have dried up, and others are getting low. The springs at the north end of the island are fine so far and do not pose a problem for visitors or rangers living on the island, but the water supplies for the animals on the rest of the island are in danger.

The lack of water is having the greatest affect on the bison, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, mule deer and coyote that call the island home. Carpenter said the ripple effects of the drought extend to the small rodents that normally get their water needs met by plants. The rodents now are having to look for other sources.

"The reproduction rate of the pronghorn and mule deer have really been hurt," Carpenter said. "They can't reproduce in these conditions. I've only seen one baby pronghorn this year."

According to the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City, this past April was the third driest on record. May and June were hot and dry, and July was the hottest month on record in Salt Lake City.

NWS meteorologist Eric Schoening said there have been 16 days with temperatures 100 degrees and above so far this year, making it the third hottest year on record since 1928. The average year has six. The record was set in 1994 with 21 days above 100 degrees, and the second highest was 2003 with 17 days. With about a month left of summer, this year could become the second hottest on record.

Carpenter said that if dry conditions and high temperature continue, park officials on Antelope Island may have to start supplementing the water supply or sell off more animals, but no decisions have been made yet.

The water level of the lake has not discouraged people from visiting the island this summer, but the heat has kept them away, she said.

"We mostly have tourists going out to the visitors center and the ranch. People are still riding the short trails on the island, but there aren't so many hikers and bikers out on the long backcountry trails."

For more information about Antelope Island State Park, call 652-2043 or visit www.utah.com/antelope_island.htm. Entrance fees for the island are $9 per vehicle and $6 for walk-ins and cyclists.

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E-mail: dramsay@desnews.com