WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — Gunlock Reservoir is unusually full for this time of year, which means it holds the promise of a year with fewer water worries in the drought-stricken region of southern Utah, as well as a chance to see a rare phenomenon.
Local photographer Tim Gillespie has some favorites among the images he has taken, but one of his favorites is the Gunlock Falls: an occurrence that takes place only when the Gunlock Reservoir overfills.
According to park records, the falls have run just seven times in the last 30 years. The last in 2023. When the falls appear, it brings people from around the state and beyond.
"Oh, it's a big deal," said Gillispie. "When it runs, it's crowded from morning 'til night and after night. And while we've lived here, almost seven years, and I've seen it once."
Gunlock State Park waterfalls make triumphant return in 2023::
On social media in southwest Utah, the day usually starts with a question.
"Gunlock State Park has a page on Facebook. People ask all the time. People from all over the world say, write to the State Park Facebook page and say, are the falls going to run?" said Gillispie.
As of now, it’s looking like the falls will put on a show. Park officials say the falls run when the capacity goes over 105 percent. As of Tuesday, it’s at 103. That’s a big change from just three months ago, when the reservoir was at just 24% of capacity.
This new pipeline will keep water flowing for 1.6 million Utahns in a disaster:
It’s not just Gunlock. Other local reservoirs are above 70%.
General Manager Zach Renstrom said the possibility of Gunlock flowing means he can now say the area has enough water to get through the year, and he says that’s validation of the area’s strategy to increase water storage and efforts to conserve and reuse water.
"This year has been such a unique year in the sense that we got some really good fall rain events. And then it just became very, very dry. We almost have no snowpack," Renstrom explained. "Even though our snowpack is dismal, our reservoirs are doing quite well. And that allows us to go to the public and say, yes, we will have safe, reliable drinking water this summer."
Renstrom said another burning issue will affect the falls this year: last year's wildfire season.
"The water has a lot of ash in it, and so it's darker or even black. And so those waterfalls, if they go over, it'll be very unique this year because usually it's as very white, clear water," he said, "but this year would actually most likely be dark."
