Rains put bridge to Gunlock out of service

ST. GEORGE — A temporary bridge connecting rural Gunlock with the rest of Washington County is once again out of service.

"It rained really hard overnight, and we lost the south entrance into Gunlock," said Dean Cox, Washington County's emergency services director. "The only access is from the north now, through Veyo. We almost lost that access, too."

January's floods destroyed the south bridge, which has been replaced several times with two culverts and tons of packed down dirt and rock. Residents of the town hunkered down and emergency crews transported medical supplies, food and water into the area for several days.

While that kind of isolation isn't likely again, said Cox, residents in Gunlock have learned to be prepared for anything.

"We just want them to know we'll get the bridge fixed as soon as the water goes down," said Cox.

Two search and rescue operations also took emergency crews into the muddy back country. One man became stuck on a ledge in Snow Canyon State Park on Tuesday and spent the night there, "very wet and cold," said Cox.

"We also rescued a group of people on four-wheelers," he said. "They were supposed to be on a commercial tour of the old Honeymoon Trail, but they got lost."

Cox said the county doesn't have a "cost recovery" ordinance that allows him to bill the tour operators for the costs of rescuing his clients.

"We really need one, and I've already talked to a county attorney about that," he said. "That rescue cost the taxpayers hundreds of dollars."

Rain is forecast for the region over the next several days, which also means the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers will continue to rise. No one expects the rivers to breech their banks just yet, which are still saturated and unstable, said Washington County Commissioner Jim Eardley.

"The storms we're getting are certainly wet and cold, but they're coming from the north and west. These aren't the ones that worry me," Eardley said. "If we get warmer storms from the south, that's when I'll start to worry."

Heavy, gray clouds hovered over southern Utah on Wednesday, and raindrops fell throughout much of the day. New Harmony, on the north end of Washington County, received more than an inch of rain.

Snow-pack levels continue to cause officials some concern.

"It's really a substantial amount, about 200 percent of the normal maximum amount," he said.

However, in order for the past to repeat itself a massive storm would have to dump a lot of water throughout the region, Cox said.

"I don't see anything in the forecast that concerns me right now. To get that kind of water volume up in the river so that it floods, a storm has to be basinwide," he said. "I don't see anything in the forecast that's concerning to me, right now."

---

E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com