Chance of flooding increases in canyons

Water levels are expected to rise in rivers across Utah this weekend, bringing the potential for flooding in some areas.

In particular, weather watchers and public safety officials are keeping an eye on three rivers — Cache County's Blacksmith Fork River, Ogden's Weber River and Emigration Creek in Salt Lake City.

"Some will exceed bank-full conditions," said Brian McInerney, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service forecast office in Salt Lake City. "Everything else will come up, everything will rise."

By Tuesday, McInerney said cooler temperatures will come in and the rivers will go down again. However, a rainstorm could bring bad news.

"If they get a rain event on Sunday or Monday, that changes everything," he said.

On Friday, Cache County sheriff's deputies took a helicopter ride to look at the snowpack in the mountains above the Blacksmith Fork River, said Lt. Matt Bilodeau.

"We don't think we're completely out of the woods, but there's a lot less snow than we anticipated," Bilodeau said. "We still have a tremendous amount at the highest altitudes."

Preparations have already been made in vulnerable areas in Cache County. It took 25 dump truck loads to remove a logjam in the Blacksmith Fork River to ease water flow. In the Nibley area, a stream was eating away at the banks. It was diverted to prevent flooding. Sandbags have also been distributed to residents who want them, Bilodeau said.

In Salt Lake County, sandbags are ready, but officials hope that, as in past years, they won't get much use.

Leaders from each city in Salt Lake County, along with water watchers and emergency management personnel, met for two hours Friday to discuss potential flooding and what should be done to prepare for it.

Rick Olsen, operations and Maintenance Manager for Salt Lake County Flood Control, said the main message was for cities to make sure they have sandbags on hand.

"It's just like preparing for an earthquake. We don't know when it will come," he said.

For now, there are a lot of eyes on the canyons and the Jordan River, said Salt Lake County Emergency Manager Bob Halloran. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. recently flew over Salt Lake County's canyons in a helicopter to survey the situation, he said.

"The weather service is giving us regular forecasts," Halloran said. "All the streams and snowpacks are well above normal."