Wasatch County Water Intelligence Brief

September 7, 2026 | Free-Tier Edition

Situation Summary

Provo River flows through Heber Valley are running in the mid-to-upper 200s cfs at the River Road Bridge and Charleston gauges, while the Hailstone reach has dropped to 38 cfs and is falling — a divergence that signals late-season tightening is underway across the basin. For Heber Valley irrigators, the falling trend at Hailstone warrants immediate attention to scheduling priorities as the season winds toward close. Reservoir storage data and 7-day forecast details are available in the full brief.

Snowpack Conditions

Important disclosure: The three SNOTEL stations physically located within Wasatch County — Currant Creek, Daniels-Strawberry, and White River #1 — drain east to the Colorado River basin via the Duchesne drainage. They do not monitor snowpack contributing to the Provo River system or Heber Valley water users and are excluded from this brief. Primary Provo River basin snowpack indicators are Trial Lake (Summit County) and Beaver Divide (Summit County). Wolf Creek Peak is located in Wasatch County and drains to the Provo River basin, but it has a short record — reporting only since August 2020 — and should be interpreted with caution.

As of September 6, all three reporting stations show end-of-season conditions consistent with normal late-summer snowpack depletion for this date:

No percent-of-median figures are reported for these stations, which is expected — the historical median SWE at this date is also at or near 0.0". The accurate seasonal signal is not below-normal snowpack today, but rather meltout timing: the 2026 snowpack melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, driven by an anomalous March heat wave. That early meltout is what shaped this summer's runoff timing — it is background context now, not the current operational story.

Streamflow Conditions

Three USGS gauges monitor Provo River conditions across Wasatch County as of September 7, 2026:

The upper and mid-valley reaches — River Road Bridge and Charleston — are running comparably and remain relatively stable at this moment, suggesting deliveries from upper-system storage are currently sustaining flows through the Heber Valley corridor. However, the Charleston gauge is flagged as falling, indicating the trend is downward.

The Hailstone gauge tells a sharper story: at 38 cfs and falling, the lower Provo reach is well below the upper-system readings. This divergence likely reflects diversions and consumption along the valley floor, with less water reaching the reservoir system's lower reaches. For agricultural users in the Heber Valley, the falling signal at both Charleston and Hailstone suggests that field-level deliveries may come under increasing pressure in the coming weeks. Coordinate early with your ditch company or water district if late-season alfalfa cuttings remain scheduled.

Seasonal Guidance

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

Data Sources: SNOTEL data through September 6, 2026; USGS streamflow data through September 7, 2026

Data Current As Of: September 7, 2026

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), and Provo River Water Users Association for regulatory decisions and water rights administration. SNOTEL station network limitations as described in the Snowpack section apply — Wasatch County in-county stations drain to the Colorado River basin and are not Provo River basin indicators. Wolf Creek Peak data should be interpreted cautiously given its record length of less than six years.