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Five northern Utah waterways to see minor flooding this week, National Weather Service predicts

The melting of Utah’s record snowfall is expected to cause some rivers and streams to rise early this week.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Crews continue to mitigate high water from Emigration Creek in Salt Lake City as they redirect water across 1700 South and back into the creek through Wasatch Hollow Park on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

  | May 1, 2023, 11:41 a.m.
| Updated: 4:52 p.m.

As the temperatures warm and snow melts, five waterways in northern Utah are forecast to experience minor flooding over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.

Around Salt Lake City, East Canyon Creek near Jeremy Ranch is expected to reach the flood stage sometime Monday evening, and Emigration Creek is expected to approach minor flood levels each night through Wednesday.

Levels near East Canyon Creek may cause minor inundation along the creek and at the Jeremy Ranch Golf Course. Levels near Emigration Creek, which is expected to flow around 126 cubic feet per second each night through Thursday, could impact homes along the waterway and areas of the Hogle Zoo, according to the service’s river forecast.

Brian McInerney, a hydrologist consulting with Salt Lake City on flooding, expects the water levels from Emigration Creek won’t be like what the city experienced near 1700 East and 1700 South earlier this month. The creek will experience higher flow rates, which officials were expecting.

“Emigration should start flowing at a pretty high rate. You want to stay away from this thing,” McInerney said. “There will still probably be outer bank flows during the next four days. I wouldn’t consider it flood damage. ... So you can see it running around in the woods and stuff like that, probably going to be in the higher elevations and maybe some of the chokepoints down by [Ruth’s Diner].”

Farther north, the South Fork of the Ogden River near Huntsville is predicted to approach minor flooding levels each night between Sunday and Tuesday. The river is forecast to surpass minor flooding levels Wednesday night and approach moderate levels Thursday evening, the weather service forecasts. Low-lying areas near the banks of the river, below Causey Reservoir through the town of Huntsville, may have minor flooding.

The Weber River, near Plain City, surpassed its “action” stage Friday morning. This means the river was measured above 25 feet high — then measuring at 25.38 feet — and that the weather service should take action to prepare for possible significant activity.

The Weber River is forecast to reach minor flood levels at 6 a.m. Tuesday and to approach moderate flood levels Tuesday evening, with a forecast of 27.56 feet at 10 p.m. Tuesday. At 27 feet, the weather service expects flooding to occur along the levee system near Plain City, affecting farmland adjacent to the Weber River.

Little Bear River in Paradise is expected to receive minor flooding, particularly of farmland and low-lying areas along the river, each night until Thursday, according to the forecast.