944
FGUS75 KSLC 261926 CCA
ESFSLC
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
125 PM MDT THU JUN 26 2008
...RIVERS ON THE DECLINE...
ALL UTAH WATERWAYS FED BY SPRING SNOWMELT RUNOFF ARE FINALLY ON THE
DECLINE. MOUNTAIN SNOWPACKS HAVE DIMINISHED TO THE LEVEL WHERE THEY
CAN NO LONGER FEED HIGH STREAMFLOWS REGARDLESS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE
LEVELS. THE SLOWING OF RIVER FLOWS HAS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 10
DAYS LATER THAN NORMAL. THIS DELAY WAS CAUSED BY A COOL SPRING AND
A LARGER THAN NORMAL SNOWPACK VOLUME.
THE 2008 RUNOFF YEAR WAS A GREAT SUCCESS FOR NORTHERN UTAH.
WATERWAYS IN THIS AREA DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY MAJOR FLOODING
ISSUES...BUT FILLED THE MAJORITY OF THE RESERVOIRS IN THE AREA. DEER
CREEK AND SCOFIELD RESERVOIRS...IN ADDITION TO WILLARD BAY OF THE
GREAT SALT LAKE DID NOT FILL THIS YEAR DUE TO FILL RESTRICTIONS
PLACED ON THE DAMS.
SOUTHERN UTAH ON THE OTHER HAND DID NOT FARE AS WELL ON THE WATER
SUPPLY FRONT. DWINDLING SPRING SNOWPACKS YIELDED HALF TO THREE
QUARTERS OF THE ANTICIPATED NORMAL WATER VOLUMES. THESE SAME AREAS
HAD AMPLE EARLY SNOWPACKS...SOME IN THE RANGE OF 170% OF NORMAL IN
THE MID-WINTER MONTHS. YET...THE WARMER DRIER SPRING MONTHS
DECIMATED SNOW VOLUMES TO BELOW AVERAGE AMOUNTS IN LATE MARCH AND
APRIL.
NORTHERN UTAH RIVERS EXPERIENCED THREE SEPARATE PEAKS THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST CAME AROUND MAY 21ST WHEN HOT TEMPERATURES FUELED
ACCELERATED SNOWMELT FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT DAYS. SNOWPACKS WERE
YIELDING MELTWATER ABOUT 2 INCHES PER DAY...BRINGING SOME RIVERS TO
FLOW OVER THEIR BANKS. THE PROVO RIVER AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE TOWN
OF WOODLAND CAME WITHIN A FEW TENTHS OF FLOOD STAGE...BUT THE ONSET
OF A COLD FRONT ON MAY 22ND SLOWED THE SNOWMELT RATE AND THE PROVO
REDUCED IT'S FLOW.
THE SECOND PEAK OCCURRED ON JUNE 3RD WITH MOST WATERWAYS FLOWING AT
THEIR CAPACITY...BUT SLOWED DUE TO COOLER TEMPS. THE THIRD AND
FINAL PEAK OCCURRED ON JUNE 19TH AS A RESULT OF ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN. THIS TIME...THE WEBER RIVER NEAR THE TOWN
OF OAKLEY...AND LITTLE COTTONWOOD CREEK AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE
SANDY CITY AREA EITHER EXCEEDED OR NEARED ITS CHANNEL CAPACITY...BUT
DID NOT CAUSE ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE DUE TO FLOODING.
ALTHOUGH NORTHERN UTAH'S WATERWAYS ARE IN DECLINE...THEY REMAIN
ABOVE BASEFLOW CONDITIONS AND WILL POSE A THREAT TO SAFETY UNTIL
EARLY JULY. PLEASE MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN IF THEY VENTURE NEAR THESE
RIVERS AND STREAMS AND USE PRUDENT JUDGEMENT WHEN TRAVELING NEAR
THESE AREAS.
MCINERNEY
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