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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — Even for experienced recreationists, snowmelt this spring could make rivers faster and more treacherous than in previous years.
That's why the message from officials is simple: Stay away from moving bodies of water.
"More-than-normal temperatures and the velocities of the water, with the runoff, are going to create a very dangerous situation," Dustin Dern, assistant chief at Unified Fire Authority, told reporters at a press conference Friday at the Ledgemere Picnic Area in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
Dern was joined by officials from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation and the Unified Police Department to warn residents of the dangers that could come as Utah's record snowpack turns to flooding. Northern Utah got the first taste of what could be several months of floods this week, after clogged drainage systems in Kaysville and Sugar House caused significant damage to infrastructure.
Gov. Spencer Cox reassured Utahns Thursday that the state is prepared to mitigate damage from floods and said the plan has been working so far.
According to the National Weather Service, the forecasted peak flow of water through Big Cottonwood Creek this spring would narrowly beat the previous high of 925 cubic feet per second set in 1984. The forecast expects flow to peak at 930 cubic feet per second, with a high-end forecast of 1,100 feet and a low-end of 820 feet.
Flood stage for the river is 798 feet per second and the peak flow in an average year is 392 cubic feet per second.
Our latest forecast for peak flow at Big Cottonwood Creek is 930 CFS which would beat the record set in 1984. Because peak river flows are so dependent on spring weather, we issue a range of forecasts. The low-end forecast is 820 CFS and the high-end is 1,100 CFS. #utwx#floodpic.twitter.com/edplGw25ID
— Colorado Basin RFC (@nwscbrfc) April 14, 2023
As far as protecting oneself from risk of drowning, Dern said, "The safest thing you can do ... is just stay away. Keep your pets away. Keep your children away. Don't try to walk across slick logs and rocks and all those things."
Due to the high amount of water in the snowpack this year, Jason Curry, director of the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, said rivers and streams will be moving faster and with more force than in recent years.
"Last year, there were probably some areas that could easily be negotiated by anybody by crossing the stream, wading through or hopping from rock to rock," he said. "And the consequences last year might have been a little bit of getting wet, muddy, and mom and dad yell at you a little bit. But this year it's different. If you slip and fall as you're trying to cross this year, chances are you'll be swept away."
And with all that recent snowmelt running down from the mountains, water temperatures could regularly be in the 30s, Curry said.
"If you go into that water, it's going to be very cold, it's going to take your breath away," he said. "Your extremities are going to go numb and you're going to lose the ability to get out of it."
Because of that, Dern said if a friend or family member does fall into the water, people should call 911 rather than jumping in to try to save them.
"We all love our canyons, and we all want to be outdoors — especially in this long, long winter — and we want to go near the water, but what we're trying to tell our community today is stay away from those swift-moving waters," said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. "The reality is that we have our search and rescue teams ... that are highly trained, but I can tell you, if you fall into this water right now, we are probably going to be not rescuing you but recovering you."
For anyone who does plan to go kayaking or rafting, Curry urged bringing life jackets, helmets and any other piece of personal protective equipment.
"A lifejacket is the No. 1 factor that will keep you safe and keep you from being an unfortunate statistic," he said. "We just want everybody to enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the opportunities that Utah has to offer, but also make it home safe at the end of the day."
