LOCAL NEWS

Salt Lake City crews trade in desk work for 24/7 flood watch

May 3, 2023, 10:16 PM | Updated: May 7, 2023, 7:49 pm

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

SALT LAKE CITY — Watching the creeks and rivers in Salt Lake is a 24 hour 7 day a week operation that is being handled by what they call “The Stream Team.”

The crews come from the Salt Lake City Public Utilities department and are usually working office jobs not walking along river banks.


Click here for all current and upcoming forecasts on Utah’s flooding and resources to protect your home.


“6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The whole night. We don’t stop. We keep an eye on everything. About 24 hour stops tonight,” Araceli Arche said as she checked on one location along emigration creek.

Arche usually works in customer service. But she loves a change of pace to be checking river crates to make sure they are not clogging up with debris.

“It’s a good piece of mind for me and for others,” Arche said.

Working along side her is Dave Ward, who is an investigator with the public utilities department, not a river watcher.

“No,” he said with a laugh. “We are getting used to it. Really at any moment we could have a root ball or massive debris come down and clog it right away.”

There is high tech equipment and stream gages that monitor the rivers and creeks, but Laura Briefer, the director of Salt Lake City’s Public Utilities department, said nothing beats actual eyes on the waters to know exactly what is happening.

“It’s our responsibility to make sure we provide good information to the community. The community is very concerned about risk [of flooding],” she said. “An extraordinary snowpack like this requires an extraordinary reaction.”

If the “stream team” finds something, they call Scott Swanger’s crew to come get the debris out. Swanger is the storm water manager for the department.

“It’s kind of a never ending tale of debris,” he said. “The way we are handling it is top one this year. We’ve made a lot of changes we’ve made a lot of improvements and we have a bigger team.”

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

Matt Gephardt working with Bona Rose on the CarChex documents....

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

Get Gephardt: West Valley woman says her extended car warranty claim was denied unfairly

Many drivers buy an extended auto warranty to cover unexpected repair bills. But when a West Valley City woman turned to her warranty provider for major help on her car's transmission, they turned her down - repeatedly.

9 hours ago

Moments before a Salt Lake City woman is hit by a white car in the Avenues....

Eric Cabrera, KSL NewsRadio, Garna Mejia and Michael Houck, KSL TV

Doorbell camera captures another hit-and-run in Salt Lake City

New doorbell camera shows bystanders rushing to save a woman who may be another victim of an alleged serial hit-and-runner.

10 hours ago

A view of the West Temple and 200 South intersection in Salt Lake City....

Michael Houck

A major downtown Salt Lake City intersection will close from April to May

Starting April 1, the West Temple and 200 South intersection will be closed as crews replace natural gas lines.

11 hours ago

Researchers gathered in a Weber State University room for a Air Quality Summit....

Mike Anderson

Air Quality Summit puts focus on Utah air pollution and solutions

Many of the researchers who study Utah's air pollution problems are sharing what they've found while working to find solutions during Thursday's Air Quality Summit.

12 hours ago

Keith Stebbings (right) confronting Loren Richardson (left) after Richardson allegedly entered his ...

Shelby Lofton

‘He wasn’t intending to hurt anybody’: Brighton homeowner attorney says snowboarder confrontation was a misunderstanding

The Brighton man armed with a gun while confronting a snowboarder in a viral video is now facing criminal charges. But his attorney says he had the right to protect his property.

13 hours ago

Follow @KSL5TVLike us on Facebook...

Eliza Pace

VIDEO: Watch the moment a UHP trooper stops a 12-year-old driving on the freeway

Utah Highway Patrol responded to a call of a reckless driver. They didn't know until after they stopped the car that it was a 12-year-old driver.

14 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Women hold card for scanning key card to access Photocopier Security system concept...

Les Olson

Why Printer Security Should Be Top of Mind for Your Business

Connected printers have vulnerable endpoints that are an easy target for cyber thieves. Protect your business with these tips.

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Salt Lake City crews trade in desk work for 24/7 flood watch