From The Cache Crop: Is the Bear River Range still topping Utah’s snowpack?

Hello, Cache Valley!

Thanks to all of you who’ve been doing your snow dances — they seem to have worked, at least for the Bear River Range!

The rest of Utah’s snowpack? Not quite so much…

Also this week, Nibley’s new nature park is gearing up to open and we take the community’s sentiment toward e-scooters in Cache Valley. Plus, USU B-ball is on a tear!

Lastly, if you love The Cache Crop, please consider sharing it with your family and friends.

Yours, Sam Morse

USU researcher’s legacy gift becomes community nature park — opening this spring

More than two decades ago, a Utah State University horticulture researcher set aside 11 acres in Nibley to protect them from development.

The donor, Alice Denney, placed the land under a wildlife conservation easement, and gave it to the Allen and Alice Stokes Nature Center through her will.

For years, the center dreamed of transforming the property into a community nature park but lacked funding. But a $1.9 million federal grant in 2022 changed everything.

This spring, the park opens with two yurts (one for nature preschool, one for field trips), a raised walkway around a revitalized pond, and a covered pavilion with solar panels and restrooms. Most of the 11 acres remain open space — wetlands, meadows and trails for community enjoyment.

After recent snows, the Bear River Range leads Utah’s statewide water table

After a decisively dismal start to the snow year, the Bear River watershed’s snowpack is leading Utah statewide at 104% of normal. That’s a positive turnaround, but it’s not enough to fix the overall picture.

The Great Salt Lake enters 2026 dangerously close to its 2022 record low, sitting at 4,191.6 feet — just three feet above catastrophe. While Cache Valley and the Bear watershed are doing their part, the Provo, Jordan and Weber basins lag at 68-71% of normal.

“It is terrifying,” said Bonnie Baxter, a biology professor and director of Westminster University’s Great Salt Lake Institute, “just how close we are to breaking the historic low. … How fast we returned to the precipice should send a shock wave throughout northern Utah.”

Poll results: Cache Valley wants e-scooters (with conditions)

This week, we asked Cache Valley 411 followers: Do you support e-scooters in Cache Valley? A solid 52% said yes. But the comments revealed what that “yes” really means.

Safety dominates. “I just want them to wear helmets and have lights at night,” wrote Sarah Culp.

Meanwhile, resident Misty Allen has nearly been hit multiple times: “I’m not opposed to them but I think if we are going to have them then we need to have designated bike lanes again (or more of them).”

Joe Hauptman pointed out that the realities on the ground have outpaced local and statewide laws. Specifically, Logan’s code allows scooters on sidewalks with minimal signage. “I’ve seen teenagers riding electric scooters at 30 mph illegally,” he recounted.

Spencer Wing summed up the majority sentiment: “E-scooters should ride in bike lanes or on the shoulder in the road with the direction of traffic, regardless of what the law says, this is the safest option for cars, scooter, and pedestrians.”

USU Basketball dominates San Jose State — leading Mountain West Conference

Utah State turned a tight first half into a decisive second-half blowout last Friday, outscoring San Jose State 48-27 after trailing 51-48 at the break.

The Aggies’ defense was suffocating — holding the Spartans to just one made three-pointer in the second half after allowing nine in the first.

“That defense, the last 15 minutes of the game, carried us,” said head coach Jerrod Calhoun. “That’s the sign of a really good team. Win in a lot of different ways.”

Utah State is currently 13-1 overall and 4-0 in Mountain West play, maintaining first place.

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