Famous for deep powder that attracts skiers from across the globe, the Wasatch Front of Utah is about to unleash its bounty on those who live along its base. Thanks to a persistent atmospheric trough that produced a chilly, wet spring, the snowpack is near record levels and has barely begun to melt, a process that generally peaks in May. When summer heat suddenly arrives, a torrent of meltwater will sweep through the steep canyons of that majestic range, inundating the towns and cities that lie in its path.
Unlike in other areas of the country, the rivers that drop into the Great Basin soon spread across the flat terrain, forming broad, shallow lakes that evaporate in the intense sun of the high desert. Of course, Salt Lake City and other urban centers now occupy that basin and, when reservoirs are unable to contain the flow, flooding results. In light of the deep snowpack and delayed melting cycle, such a scenario appears to be unavoidable.
The bounty of mountain snow is vital to the ecosystems of the Western U.S., sustaining forests and producing corridors of vegetation across the semiarid landscape that lies below; without it, humans could not have colonized the region. But nature is fickle, bringing drought one year and floods the next; we must understand the risks that come with her varied landscapes and learn to live with her changing moods.
