Utah roads, parks close due to flooding and high runoff levels
May 2, 2023, 9:51 AM | Updated: 10:36 am
Flooding temporarily closed state Route 39 in Ogden Canyon Tuesday morning. (Utah Department of Public Safety)
(Utah Department of Public Safety)
SALT LAKE CITY — Several roads were closed due to flooding Tuesday morning, and warm temperatures will keep rivers and creeks running high throughout the day.
Road closures
Blacksmith Fork Canyon Road (state Route 101)
- Both directions closed at milepost 14 (6 miles east of Hyrum) to Hardware Ranch
- Estimated time for reopening: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Utah Department of Transportation crews were hoping to have it open for traffic again this afternoon. S.R. 39 was also closed in Ogden Canyon due to flooding Tuesday morning but has since reopened.
Ogden Canyon has re-opened 🛣️ https://t.co/LFth29omwd
— Utah Public Safety (@UtahDPS) May 2, 2023
U.S. Highway 89
- Closed at milepost 311 (Thistle)
- Northbound lanes closed in Fairview
- Southbound lanes closed at the U.S. 6 junction
“It’s an area that is known for its flooding,” said Geoff Dupaix with UDOT. “We’re aware of that, and so we’re trying to do what we can to mitigate that or manage it as best as possible.”
Crews warned it could close throughout the week as runoff surges arrive in that portion of Thistle Creek from the day’s warm temperatures.
As expected due to the continued high temperatures and increased runoff. https://t.co/DYa2US3wh3
— Utah DOT (@UtahDOT) May 2, 2023
Little Cottonwood Canyon (S.R. 210)
- Closed due to avalanche hazard
- Uphill lanes closed at mouth, downhill closed at Gate C
- No estimated time of reopening. Conditions are monitored daily by UDOT avalanche mitigation crews
Big Cottonwood Canyon (S.R. 190)
- Closed between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. due to avalanche hazard
Park closures
Sugar House Park
Salt Lake County crews say pedestrians are welcome to use the park but the road will be closed to vehicles through mid-May as the detention pond continues to do its job.
“Salt Lake City Public Utilities is releasing water from the reservoir system upstream from us in Parley’s Canyon,” said Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities Director Laura Briefer. “The reason for doing that is to be prepared when the Parley’s Creek watershed really begins runoff toward the peak of its runoff.”
The detention pond @ Sugar House Park is hard at work! The road will be closed to vehicles for 2 more weeks.
Pedestrians and bikers are welcome to use the park. Keep pets & children out of the water!#runoffready #SLCo #PeopleParksPlay pic.twitter.com/58cQfW1fbj
— Salt Lake County Parks & Recreation (@SLCOParksandRec) May 1, 2023
Trapper Park
Due to flooding, Logan city officials have closed Trapper Park until further notice.
Due to flooding, Trapper Park—1497 South 1600 West, is closed until further notice. #loganutah #trapperparkclosed #2023springflooding #weareparksandrec pic.twitter.com/mLGGqYPzFU
— City of Logan (@cityoflogan) May 2, 2023
Flood watches and warnings
Multiple active flood advisories or warnings were in place across Utah Tuesday morning.
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) May 1, 2023
Residents in Emigration Canyon sprang into action Sunday evening as Emigration Creek jumped its bed in several areas, threatening to flood homes.
“We’ve seen it just go up and up and up and up,” said Tim Erickson, a resident of Emigration Canyon.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the area through Thursday. “Emigration Creek will continue to see increases in flow each evening to near to above flood flow through at least Wednesday night,” NWS officials said.
East Canyon Creek in Summit County is under a flood watch until further notice. Officials said it could flood the Jeremy Ranch golf course but it was not expected to impact homes.
A flood warning is in effect for the Little Bear River at Paradise in Cache County through Friday morning. “Minor flooding will affect farmland and low-lying areas adjacent to the Little Bear River near the town of Paradise,” NWS officials said. Water levels are expected to rise again Monday afternoon.
The NWS also issued a flood warning for the Weber River at Plain City that lasts through Friday.
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) May 1, 2023
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) May 1, 2023
The mayor of Garden City issued a state of emergency over the weekend to prepare residents for flooding. Mayor Mike Leonhardt told KSL that city officials saw active flooding across the city.
“We have about seven different locations, from south to north, in our town that we have active flooding waters coming down the mountain,” Leonhardt said.
READ MORE: Utah Flood Watch: KSL’s complete coverage
Warm weather continues
The NWS warned that “streams, creeks, and rivers will continue to experience significant rises moving forward throughout the upcoming week, especially low- and mid-elevation watersheds across the forecast area. Waterways will be running high, fast, cold, and extremely dangerous increasing the risk of hypothermia and drowning with even brief periods of time in the water. Keep a safe distance from these waterways as banks may become unstable, and especially monitor children and pets closely as they can quickly drown in these elevated flows.”
April was a wild ride. We started the month with record cold and snow we finished with record warmth and flooding. #utwx ❄️➡️☀️ pic.twitter.com/OIBKQRsGBq
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) May 2, 2023
