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Park City describes ‘near-perfect runoff conditions’ as snow melts

The Park City Public Utilities Department has placed sandbags along the Poison Creek trail as it follows Bonanza Drive in preparation for the possibility of flooding in the spring and early summer.
Tanzi Propst/Park Record

Park City officials said in a report released this week flooding is not expected inside the city even as they continue to monitor waterways through the season of melting snow.

The snowpack in the Park City area remains well above average after storms that stretched through much of the winter and then into the spring. City Hall has been concerned about the possibility of flooding since the snow started to pile up in mid-winter.

A City Hall report drafted in anticipation of a Park City Council meeting on Thursday indicates the forecast at the beginning of May called for “near-perfect runoff conditions with no big warmups forecast.” It says the National Weather Service “is tracking favorable patterns with a general warming trend and cooling at night.”



“Consistent with rising spring temperatures, we may start to see increased runoff levels and flow rates, but while water levels and runoff rates may increase, based on currently available information, rivers should stay well within their banks,” the report, drafted by Mike McComb, who is the emergency program manager at City Hall, and Troy Dayley, the public works manager, says.

The report says the snowpack does not foretell imminent flooding. The update to the elected officials is similar to one drafted by City Hall staffers in late April. The most recent report indicates the water levels in McLeod Creek, East Canyon Creek and Silver Creek between April 29 and May 6 were not approaching flood stage.



City Hall staffers are monitoring 27 locations for flooding, inspecting them twice daily during the runoff. The report says there have not been significant amounts of debris found during the inspections. Debris in the waterways potentially could cause backups that could send the water over the banks.

The report says homeowners and people who own businesses can inspect ditches and remove debris “that might impede flow as well as removing rocks that they may have placed to make water features until end of spring runoff.”

Park City has readied sandbags that are available to residents. A resident may obtain 25 filled sandbags per address without charge. They can fill additional sandbags with sand and bags provided for free. The sandbags are available at the Public Works Building, 1053 Iron Horse Drive. For more information, call 615-5320.

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