WSP00356

• File Number: 8210.137
• Description: Colorado River Basin-Colorado River Basin Organizations/Entities-Colorado River Forecast Committee
• State: UT
• Date: 6/1/1984
• Author: NOAA
• Title: Water Supply Outlook for Utah
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

as of June 1, 1984

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WATER SUPPLY OUTLOOK Foa UTAH

NORT~~ UTAH: For the second year in a row extremely high flood flows were observed
throughout northern Utah. Parleys Creek and Emigration Creek in Salt Lake City had
record peak flows during May while Big and Little Cottonwood Creeks had record high
mean daily flows at the end of the month. Preliminary reports on other streams in
northern Utah indicate well above normal flows which in some cases may be records.

1lliy was cool and wet during the first week, then hot and dry until the last two days
of the month when heaTJ thunderstorms engulfed northern Utah. The high temperature
of 93 degrees on 1lliy 30th tied the all-time record high for any day in May. During
the erratic weather pattern in May dozens of mud or landslides were triggered over
northern Utah with one person being killed in Middle Fork Canyon near Tooele and
one on Clear Creek near Scofield.

May precipitation was generally in the 70 to 100 percent range with Morgan reporting
124 percent of normal. Seasonal (October thru 1lliy) precipitation remains above normal
throughout northern Utah. Salt Lake City Airport received l7.03 inches, 144 percent
of normal, a record amoUT~ for the period. The previous record for the same period
was 16.92 inches in 1951-1952.

Snow surveys indicate that June 1 snow packs o~ intermediate courses have been
depleted while higher snow courses are still reporting above normal snowpacks.

The June 1 reading of the Great Salt Lake was 4208.80 feet MSL, a rise of 0.70 feet
since May 1. The Lake has risen 4.50 feet since the low point of 4204.30 feet on
September 22, 1983 and is the second largest rise exceeded only by last years record
rise of 5.40 feet. This will represent a two year rise on the Great Salt Lake of
near 10_00 feet. The Lake is expected to slightly exceed a level of 4209.00 feet
vnthin the next four weeks.

The June 1 level of Utah Lake, at the Lehi P~~p Plant gage, was 5.09 feet above
compromise. This is higher than the peak reached last year and is the highest since
records began in 1884. The highest level mentioned from historical notes was 6.42
feet above compromise in 1862. Inflow to Utah Lake was the highest monthly inflow
in recorded h~story ~nth JJO~600 ~cre-feet, 420 per~ent of normal. Th~ previcus
record was in 1hy 1952 Inth 326,800 acre-feet. Water year, October tt~u May, inflow
has been 1.2 million acre-feet, 253 percent. Utah Lake outflow for 1hy also recorded
an all-time high with 135,300 acre-feet, 359 percent of normal while water year
outflow was 765,000 acre-feet, 668 percent.

Utah Lake is expected to peak at a level near 5.40 feet within the next four weeks.

SOUTHERN UTAH: May precipitation was below normal over the Sevier Basin to much
below normal over the Virgin basin. rMlford and Fish Lake reported 81 percent of
normal while Veyo Power House near St. George received no precipitation. Seasonal
precipitation over most of the Sevier and Beaver Basins remains well above normal
while the headwaters cf the Sevier and the Virgin River Basin were near normal to
below normal.

NOAA-NATIONAL Vr.EATHER SERVICE
COLORADO BASIN RIVER FORECAS7 CENTER, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
Gerald Williams, Hydrologist in Charge