With heavy snowpack, Utah officials brace for runoff, potential flooding

Jan. 30--The snowstorms have stopped -- for now -- but not before they left a whole lot of snow in the Wasatch Mountains. Local officials are now keeping an eye on what all that snow will do come spring.

The latest data from the Utah Snow Survey shows snow water equivalent in the Weber-Ogden Basin sits at 177 percent of average, while the Bear River Basin is at 173 percent of average. For some, all that snow stirs memories of 2011's springtime flooding. They want to ensure Northern Utah residents are ready.

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"One of the real challenges we have is we have a very changing environment. In 2011 we're in flooding, then we have five years of drought," Weber County Commissioner Kerry Gibson said. "When we're in the drought years, it's hard for people to remember the flood and be prepared for the next one."

County and water managers have stepped up in the past five years, making improvements on the Weber River and storm water systems. The Willard Diversion is designed to take a large amount of water from the Weber River and channel it to Willard Bay. But in 2011, the force of flooding caused the diversion to get jammed with limbs, full trees and other debris.

"We've redesigned and rebuilt the entire diversion structure, so it many be cleaned quicker and not get so cluttered to begin with," said Tage Flint, general manager with the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District.

Weber County also received state and federal funding to repair river banks so they're less likely to breach, ensure the Ogden Bay can handle a surge of water and place rakes on diversion structures to prevent more debris build-up. The projects were part of the Weber River Emergency Watershed Protection project, which wrapped up in October 2015 and cost $20 million.

"We knew there wasn't a single silver bullet that would solve all the problems, so we looked system-wide," Gibson said. "That doesn't necessarily mean we're out of the woods, but we have way more tools in the toolbox today to handle whatever comes than we had (in 2011)."

The past five years of drought also freed up more storage space in reservoirs upstream.

"If the snowpack continues to be in the percentages we are seeing now, we will start making provisions in the reservoirs in the next few weeks ... making room to take a big surge," Flint said.

While the 2011 flooding caused a lot of damage, Flint calculates the Weber River would have had double the flow if not for reservoirs catching some of the runoff.

"And even then, that was a tough flow to deal with," he said.

Although water managers and county officials feel better equipped to deal with a deluge this spring, emergency management officials caution Northern Utah residents to take steps to prepare, too.

"Right now, I wouldn't say we're in a worried state, but it's something we always pay attention to, especially as you see snowpack grow and grow," said Joe Dougherty, spokesman for the Utah Division of Emergency Management. "And every spring when snow starts to melt, there's always potential for flooding."

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Homeowners can prepare now by purchasing flood insurance. Standard home insurance policies don't include flood damage from rising lakes, rivers and streams.

"Almost everyone in the state qualifies for flood insurance, they don't have to be in a flood zone," Dougherty said. "A quarter of flood damage claims are for people who are not in flood zones."

Utahns should also have a disaster kit ready with food, water and extra cash so they can quickly evacuate, Dougherty said. He also advises residents to sign up for local emergency alerts, like the Code Red system in Weber and Davis counties which send updates to cell phones via text message.

"We want people to be as informed as possible," Dougherty said. "Check the weather. The more you know, the better the decisions you can make."

More flooding safety tips are available on the National Weather Service Flood Safety Awareness and Preparedness website.

Contact Reporter Leia Larsen at 801-625-4289 or llarsen@standard.net. Follow her on Facebook.com/leiaoutside or on Twitter @LeiaLarsen.

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