The metal plate belonged to the county, and it was part of the flood control system, Moncour said. Its function was to prevent concrete erosion should the nearestBut on April 15, after pumping out enough water, Moncour said crews were able to see the plate was clogging the system because it wasn’t in the right position.
It would’ve taken lots of “effort and intention” to move the metal plate into that position, Moncour said. There’s no saying for sure, but he suspects someone flipped the plate when water levels were lower in late 2022 to block the flow and create a “palace of water” to play around in. The director of Salt Lake City’s Department of Public Utilities alsoEven if Flood Control had discovered the clog in the system sooner, flooding still would’ve been a concern, Moncour said.
“I think the city and county and volunteer effort came through — they showed the force of the neighborhood to take action and keep things from being a lot worse,” said Jesse Stewart, deputy director of the city’sJoe Dratter, another resident in the area, said his neighbor saw floodwater pool into his basement. Dratter had high amounts of water flow into his backyard but none into his house. He said the response was a “pretty impressive ordeal.
At the park, two trees later died because of damage to the irrigation system during the initial flooding, when response vehicles drove over it. The irrigation system has since been repaired, Hazelbaker said, adding “things are greening up, but it’s a battle this time of year.”