Granite County keeps reservoir releases steady after heavy rain to avoid downstream flooding

Granite County commissioners voted to maintain controlled releases from the county reservoir after dam staff reported the system had risen well above full pool following recent heavy rain.

Dam tender staff told the board the reservoir was running roughly 2.76 inches above full pool and that releases through the dam and pintock were about 43 cubic feet per second. They described a day-and-night effort to adjust gate valves so inflows could be matched and downstream flooding avoided.

The board’s action preserved the status quo of measured releases while staff continue to monitor snowpack and stream inflows. “We’ve been turning the valve slowly all day so we didn’t flood out the north end of the valley,” the dam tender said, describing steps taken to protect downstream ranches.

Commissioners and staff said the immediate priority is preventing property damage while the reservoir level drops. They noted that further outflows will be adjusted against downstream conditions — particularly Flint Creek and Boulder Creek inflows — and that the process could continue through the week as mountain snowpack melts.

The decision leaves operational discretion with dam staff under the county’s direction. Commissioners asked staff to continue posting status updates and to coordinate with local ranchers about potential downstream effects. No emergency evacuation or mandatory orders were issued; the board framed the steps as active flood management while normalizing controlled releases.

The board carried the motion with a unanimous voice vote to continue the current release strategy and to reconvene on new data as needed.