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Marc Giaque ReportingNot even a mile past the water treatment plant in City Creek canyon, the plowed road ends and several inches of new snow is covering the trees, weighing down leaf-laden branches, and breaking many. Snow on the road is still more than a foot deep, but it's the stuff far past here that has some worried.
"My concern is growing."
Salt Lake Public Utilities Director LeRoy Hooten has reason for concern. He says in some areas, there's 23 inches of water, not snow, water above City Creek.
"That's a lot of water up there and if conditions are right we could get a lot of it in a peak runoff. You know, a runoff like 1983, when rock and debris clogged the storm drains, ultimately sending City Creek, down State Street."
Hooten says there are now debris basins, and a much larger storm drain system in place.
"We're assuming that the water will make it through the pipe system now that we have enough capacity."
But could it really happen again? It's always possible. The city has been contacting people who live along the creek, including John Griffin.
"I'll be honest with you, I had no clue what I was going to do and I really have given it much thought as of right now."
But Griffin says he will be ready.
"I'm not exactly thrilled, but I sure know how to throw a good sandbag so we'll see what we have to do."
Weather permitting, Hooten says hydrologists will take a helicopter into the area tomorrow to try to get a more accurate idea of the water that's up there. He's hoping mild dry weather will bring it all down without a problem. But there's a point where you have more water than you can carry and you're going to have to deal with it. Mother Nature decides when it's going to come.
