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GUNNISON -- This year's high water levels are covering up some beautiful art work along a pedestrian walkway.
Like all rivers in Utah, the Sanpitch River in Gunnison is moving fast, and at times, running over the banks.
"We've been told by old timers that rivers will do what they want to do, and we learned that again this year," said Mayor Lori Nay of Gunnison.
We've been told by old timers that rivers will do what they want to do, and we learned that again this year.
–Lori Nay
Fortunately for the city of Gunnison, city leaders worked to make improvements in areas they believed were vulnerable to future high waters, following the flooding of 1983.
Although officials made improvements to the city, water levels are strikingly similar to 1983, causing a pedestrian walkway under Highway 89 to be flooded.
"This is why it is called a riverwalk," Nay said. "We get the water from all of Sanpete County. We have six huge canyons that all drain into the Sanpitch River, so we get a lot of water."
The riverwalk was built in 2007 as a community trail to help people safely cross under the busy highway. Community members volunteered to create artwork under the bridge, designing a 218-foot mosaic wall of tile, with the center design a dragon.
Now, all of the Sanpitch Dragon, as it is called, is under water.
"The Sanpitch Dragon is a tough sister," Nay said. "She is going to be just fine. She's going to have a good bath. We understand she can swim and there's a few people in town calling her the Loch, so we're feeling like she'll survive this just fine and need a little scrubbing and cleanup."
But until the river starts to dry up, the Sanpitch Dragon will have to keep on swimming.
Email: spenrod@ksl.com
