SUGAR HOUSE, Utah (ABC4) — Sugar House Park will be closed temporarily to vehicles starting Saturday, April 22, for flood control operations, according to the Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation. The closure is expected to last about a week.
Beginning Saturday, officials at the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities will be doing controlled releases from Mountain Dell and Little Dell Reservoirs into Parleys Creek. This is all part of an ongoing effort to maintain spring runoff along Parleys Creek.
“At this time, and with the Salt Lake City Marathon in mind, Sugar House Park will remain open to all visitors, through Friday, April 21,” officials said.
Sugar House Park will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic at 5 a.m. on Saturday for the marathon and will remain closed after that for almost a week.
The Park is currently acting as a detention basin for the surrounding community, meaning it is a place to store spring runoff temporarily. Detention basins temporarily hold water and are part of a long-standing plan to mitigate flooding from spring runoff, officials said.
According to the Public Lands Department, Salt Lake City is home to more than 30 detention basins, including Creekside Regional Park, Ben Franklin (Scott Ave) Park and Wheeler Historic Farm.
In order to stay safe as the snow melts, Parks and Recreation officials have provided these additional tips:
- Don’t walk or drive through water on trails or roadways, instead remember the phrase, “Turn around, don’t drown!”
- Keep children and pets away from run-off water as it can have a strong current.
- If someone is in the water, do not get in the water to rescue them. Instead, call 911 immediately and reach for them or throw something to help if possible.
- Stay updated on the weather before going outside.
- Let someone know where you are going and when you plan to return.
