Wasatch County Water Intelligence Brief

September 14, 2026 | Provo River Basin

Situation Summary

Provo River flows through the Heber Valley are stable in the mid-240s cfs range at upper gauges, supporting active late-season irrigation deliveries, while the Hailstone reach has fallen to 30 cfs and continues dropping — signaling that the system's peak late-season capacity is behind irrigators. For Heber Valley alfalfa and hay operations, this week's stable upper-reach flows remain workable, but the falling lower-reach trend warrants close coordination with your ditch company on scheduling. 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 eastward to the Colorado River basin via the Duchesne River drainage. They do not monitor water contributing to the Provo River system or Heber Valley users and are excluded from this brief. Primary Provo River basin snowpack indicators are Trial Lake (Summit County, reporting since 1978) and Beaver Divide (Summit County, reporting since 1978). Wolf Creek Peak is located in Wasatch County and drains to the Provo River basin, but carries a short record — reporting since August 2020, fewer than six years — and should be interpreted with appropriate caution.

As of September 13, all three monitored stations show the following:

No percent-of-median figures are reported for any station. At this point in September, median SWE is also 0.0" — so current readings reflect normal seasonal snow-free conditions, not a below-normal snowpack signal. The relevant 2026 context is meltout timing: Provo basin stations melted out 4–6 weeks ahead of the historical median meltout date, driven by an anomalous March heat wave. That early meltout advanced the spring pulse and shortened the summer runoff window — background context that now shapes the late-season streamflow trajectory described below.

Streamflow Conditions

Three USGS gauges monitor the Provo River system through Wasatch County as of September 14:

The upper two gauges show closely matched, stable flows in the mid-240s cfs, indicating consistent delivery conditions through the core of Heber Valley at this time. The Hailstone gauge, located on the lower reach near Jordanelle Reservoir, reads considerably lower at 30 cfs and is on a falling trend — a divergence that reflects system dynamics in the lower reach and warrants monitoring as September progresses. For Heber Valley irrigators, the stable upper-reach readings support continued field operations this week, though the falling lower-reach signal is a directional indicator for the weeks ahead. For Park City area users on the Wasatch side, Hailstone flows feed into the Jordanelle system — current reservoir storage status should be confirmed through USBR Upper Colorado Region channels.

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: September 14, 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), 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 and NRCS before making operational decisions.