Salt Lake County Water Intelligence Brief

September 14, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

Jordan River flows at 1700 South are running at 208 cfs with stable conditions, and Little Cottonwood Creek is reporting 10 cfs and rising — together indicating that late-season streamflow in Salt Lake County remains measurable but well into the declining tail of the irrigation season. For the county's three municipal suppliers — Salt Lake City Public Utilities, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, and Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy — the operational question now shifts from peak-season delivery management to late-season storage drawdown rates and demand-side conservation tier positioning ahead of the autumn transition. Reservoir storage data and 7-day forecast details are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

All SNOTEL stations monitoring the Salt Lake County watershed are reporting at their normal seasonal baseline for mid-September. No anomaly language is appropriate for today's readings — at this point in the calendar, 0.0" SWE is the expected condition across nearly all stations.

| Station | SWE (in) | Snow Depth (in) |

|---|---|---|

| Atwater | 0.0 | 1.0 |

| Brighton | 0.0 | 0.0 |

| Dry Fork | 0.0 | 0.0 |

| Mill-D North | 0.0 | 1.0 |

| Snowbird | 0.1 | 0.0 |

Station record note: Atwater (reporting since August 2022) carries less than four years of record and should be weighted accordingly for any trend or historical comparison. Brighton (since 1986), Mill-D North (since 1988), and Snowbird (since 1989) are the primary stations for historical context.

The relevant 2026 snowpack signal is not today's readings but meltout timing: stations across the Salt Lake County watershed melted out approximately 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, driven by an anomalous March heat wave. That early meltout compressed the spring runoff window and is the background condition shaping late-season storage and streamflow trajectories.

Streamflow Conditions

Two active USGS gauges are currently transmitting data for Salt Lake County. Users should be aware of a significant gauge data gap: Big Cottonwood Creek (10168499, 10169000), Mill Creek (10170000), and Parleys Creek (10171500) are discontinued gauges not transmitting current data. Canyon-specific flow information beyond Little Cottonwood should be directed to Salt Lake City Public Utilities directly.

Jordan River @ 1700 South @ Salt Lake City — 208 cfs, stable (09/14). This is the primary mainstem indicator for the county's surface water system and reflects aggregated contributions from canyon tributaries and upstream Utah Lake outflow.

Little Cottonwood Creek @ Jordan River near SLC — 10 cfs, rising (09/14). The rising trend at this gauge warrants monitoring; contact Salt Lake City Public Utilities for canyon watershed context on whether this reflects localized precipitation or measurement variability.

Seasonal Guidance

Subscribe for the full brief including reservoir storage, weather forecasts, depletion analysis, and detailed operational recommendations.

Data Sources: SNOTEL data through September 13, 2026; USGS streamflow data through September 14, 2026.

Data Current As Of: Utah Division of Water Rights.

Important Disclaimers: This brief provides automated analysis for informational purposes only. Specific numerical claims have not been independently verified. Consult official sources including your local water district, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Upper Colorado Region, for Deer Creek and Jordanelle reservoir operations), and Salt Lake City Public Utilities (canyon watershed storage) for regulatory decisions and water rights administration.