Utah’s rivers are filling up with spring runoff

Miller said this time of year, pay attention to rising flows. He said the water is also frigid right now because it’s rapidly melting snowpack.

“There might not be like that flood threat, but it’s still important to be cognizant of where you are and what the streams are doing, and this time of year, they’re rising,” he said.

He doesn’t anticipate flooding due to snowmelt, like we’ve seen in recent years, but he said flooding can’t be ruled out entirely.

“Weather right now is unpredictable, especially in spring,” Miller said. “We can get really intense storms. Sometimes this can be really localized, and those intense storms can really push up the height of rivers and streams in our area.”

As we spend more time outside, he said think twice before recreating in or around rivers.

“Be very careful around rivers,” Miller said. “Sometimes it’s hard to judge just how quickly those rivers are moving and how cold that water is.”