Wasatch County Water Intelligence Brief

June 22, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

The 2026 water year for Wasatch County's Provo River basin is defined by early meltout: snowpack across the primary Provo River basin indicator stations melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, meaning this season's snowmelt pulse has already passed. Current streamflow reflects residual runoff and baseflow rather than active snowmelt contributions. Reservoir storage data and 7-day forecast details are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

Important network disclosure: The three SNOTEL stations physically located within Wasatch County — Currant Creek, Daniels-Strawberry, and White River #1 — drain eastward to the Colorado River basin via the Duchesne River drainage. They do not monitor snowpack contributing to the Provo River system or Heber Valley agricultural users, and are excluded from this brief.

Primary Provo River basin snowpack indicators are Summit County stations: Beaver Divide (330:UT:SNTL) and Trial Lake (828:UT:SNTL), both with records dating to 1978. Wolf Creek Peak (1164:UT:SNTL) is located in Wasatch County and drains to the Provo River basin, but carries a short record — reporting only since August 2020, under six years — and should be interpreted with that limitation in mind.

As of June 21, 2026:

Beaver Divide and Wolf Creek Peak are fully melted out. Because no percent-of-median figure is shown for these stations, the median SWE for this date is also 0.0" — both stations are at their normal seasonal condition for late June, not anomalously below normal today. Trial Lake retains a modest 0.8" SWE with 2.0" of snow depth, indicating a small remnant snowpack; no percent-of-median is reported, meaning this too reflects near-normal late-season conditions for that elevation.

The critical signal for 2026 is not current SWE but meltout timing: stations melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, driven by an anomalous March heat wave. That early meltout means the seasonal runoff pulse entered Provo River system reservoirs and stream channels earlier than normal, and active snowmelt contribution to streamflow is largely complete for the season.

Streamflow Conditions

Three active USGS gauges monitor the Provo River system through Wasatch County as of June 22, 2026:

The Charleston gauge, reading highest at 180 cfs, reflects mid-system Provo River conditions above major reservoir storage infrastructure. The Heber City gauge at 146 cfs is stable and represents conditions relevant to Heber Valley agricultural diverters. The Hailstone gauge at 34 cfs — falling — is the downstream-most reading and reflects post-storage release conditions; the falling trend at this location warrants attention for any users drawing from this reach.

With snowmelt contributions largely exhausted for the season, current flows are sustained primarily by baseflow and managed releases. The stable readings at Heber City and Charleston suggest the mid-valley system is holding, but the falling trend at Hailstone is consistent with the post-peak-runoff transition into the typically tighter late-summer supply period.

Seasonal Guidance

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

Data Sources: SNOTEL data through June 21, 2026; USGS streamflow data through June 22, 2026

Data Current As Of: June 22, 2026 | 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, Jordanelle, and Strawberry Reservoir operations), Provo River Water Users Association, and Utah Division of Water Rights for regulatory decisions and water rights administration. Streamflow conditions can change rapidly — verify current gauge readings at waterdata.usgs.gov before making operational decisions.