Wasatch County Water Intelligence Brief

July 13, 2026 | Provo River Basin | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

The 2026 water year was defined by an anomalous March heat wave that drove snowpack meltout across the Provo River basin approximately 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, accelerating the transition to summer streamflow conditions earlier than typical. Provo River flows in the Heber Valley corridor remain active as of mid-July, though the Hailstone reach is declining, signaling the seasonal taper that agricultural users should factor into near-term irrigation scheduling. Reservoir storage data, 7-day forecast details, and depletion analysis are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

A critical disclosure applies to this section. The three SNOTEL stations physically located within Wasatch County — Currant Creek, Daniels-Strawberry, and White River #1 — drain eastward to the Duchesne River and ultimately to the Colorado River basin. They do not monitor snowpack contributing to the Provo River system or Heber Valley water supply, and are therefore excluded from this brief.

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

As of July 12, 2026, all three stations report the following:

No percent-of-median figures are shown for any station. For mid-July, the historical median SWE at these stations is also 0.0", meaning current readings reflect normal seasonal conditions for this point in the calendar — not below-normal snowpack relative to today's date. The meaningful 2026 signal is timing, not current depth: these stations melted out approximately 4–6 weeks ahead of their historical median meltout dates. That early meltout compressed the peak runoff window and shifted the effective irrigation season earlier, with implications for late-summer supply that extend beyond what current SWE readings alone convey.

Streamflow Conditions

Three active USGS gauges monitor the Provo River system through Wasatch County as of July 13, 2026:

The upper and mid-valley reaches at Heber City and Charleston are running similarly — 178 and 183 cfs respectively — with the Heber City gauge showing a rising trend. This upper corridor flow represents the supply available to Heber Valley agricultural users and the reservoir system. The Charleston gauge, stable at 183 cfs, reflects consolidated mid-valley flow prior to the reservoir reach.

The Hailstone gauge, at 16 cfs and falling, reflects a substantially reduced and declining condition below the primary impoundment infrastructure. The divergence between the upper reach (178–183 cfs) and the Hailstone reach (16 cfs) is consistent with reservoir operations regulating outflow — not a data anomaly. Heber Valley irrigators drawing from the upper Provo corridor have meaningfully more flow available than conditions at Hailstone would suggest in isolation.

The falling trend at Hailstone warrants monitoring. For Park City-area municipal users on the Wasatch side, downstream reservoir release management and storage balance are the relevant variables — data available in the full brief.

Seasonal Guidance

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

Data Sources: SNOTEL data through July 12, 2026; USGS streamflow data through July 13, 2026.

Data Current As Of: Utah Division of Water Rights data current as of publication date; SNOTEL and USGS data as noted above.

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 and snowpack conditions can change rapidly — verify current conditions directly with USGS National Water Information System (waterdata.usgs.gov) and NRCS SNOTEL (wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov) before making operational decisions.