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FGUS75 KSLC 270910 CCA
ESFSLC

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
125 PM MDT THU JUN 26 2008

                  ...UTAH RIVERS RECEDING...

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 VERY CLOSE TO FLOOD STAGE...BUT THE ARRIVAL OF A 
COLD FRONT ON MAY 22ND SLOWED THE SNOWMELT RATE...AND THE PROVO 
RIVER FLOWS RAPIDLY DECREASED. 

THE SECOND PEAK OCCURRED ON JUNE 3RD WITH MOST WATERWAYS FLOWING AT 
THEIR CAPACITY...BUT RUNOFF AGAIN SLOWED DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF 
COOLER TEMPERATURES. THE THIRD AND FINAL PEAK OCCURRED ON JUNE 19TH 
AS A RESULT OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. 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 STREAMFLOW WITHIN NORTHERN UTAHS 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