Storm halts flood repair on Dixie's Virgin River

ST. GEORGE — Flood repair work along sections of the Virgin River was halted Wednesday after a late spring storm swelled waterways, causing minor flooding and damage.

"One thing this storm did was shut down our river armoring project," said Larry Bulloch, St. George public works director. "It's put us in a bind. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon."

Millions of tons of rock have been quarried, transported and placed along specific sections of the Virgin and Santa Clara Rivers to provide protection against floods. Dixie residents vividly recall the floods of 2005 that destroyed dozens of homes, trails, roads, parks and several holes on a city golf course.

Wednesday's storm brought four to five feet of water surging down the Virgin River near the Man-O-War Bridge in Bloomington where a major bank stabilization effort is under way.

KCSG-TV meteorologist Adam Stiles said the storm was producing minor flooding in some sections of the county, but nothing significant.

"I think those workers have been extremely lucky so far to be able to get out and get that work done," said Stiles. "We had a dry winter and this is really more of a normal spring storm. We're keeping an eye on Tuesday's storm, though. That could elevate river-flow levels again, but not to the level that they were last year."

Dean Cox, Washington County emergency services coordinator, said the storm managed to wash out a side culvert near Gunlock that is easily replaced.

"The real danger is if people try to drive through flooded areas or try to float down the river in tubes," said Cox. "This storm deserves caution and respect. It's not significant enough to pose a real credible threat of flooding."

Matt Brower, Santa Clara city manager, said water was lapping near the bottom of a temporary crossing placed over the Santa Clara River.

"We're holding steady right now. The rockwork along the river is doing exactly what it was designed to do," said Brower.

A flood warning issued by the National Weather Service for Washington County and south-central Iron County was set to expire at 9 p.m.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com