Wasatch Hollow Preserve filling with runoff

SALT LAKE CITY  — Some parts of our state are already dealing with too much water flowing down the mountains.

A popular neighborhood park in Salt Lake City is now inaccessible, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Wasatch Hollow Preserve is usually full of people walking around with their kids and dogs, but now they can’t do that.

It has become a massive pool of water.

Normally you can expect to see water trickling through it but it’s rare to see it flooded like it has been this week.

Luke Allen with the Salt Lake City Public Lands Department said the park is designed to hold excess water so it doesn’t end up in neighborhoods.

“We get extreme weather events. A lot of snow and a lot of rain,” Allen said. “Sometimes it’ll retain water and then release it more gradually. This is by design in order to prevent flooding downstream.”

He explained that this is the third time this winter that this area has filled with water.

“In previous years, you know, the last three to five years, we haven’t seen this at all, just because we haven’t had anywhere near as much precipitation as this year,” Allen said.

Utah’s just over one week into the spring season and more water is expected to trickle down from our mountains, creating potentially an even bigger pool of water.

The Salt Lake City Public Lands Department is reminding people to be careful in the area and to make sure kids and dogs are close by at all times.