Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Water is already a precious commodity in dry southern Utah.

But climate change may be making it even harder to come by — just by shifting when and how the region’s precipitation arrives.

A new study from the Desert Research Institute found that three big factors are hurting the reliability of streamflows in Utah and across the arid West.

Winter temperatures have increased over the past 40 years. During that same span, snowfall has decreased. And precipitation that used to come down as snow is falling as rain instead.

Abhinav Gupta, a Nevada-based researcher who led the study, said that all adds up to be bad news for Utah’s streams.

“Because of all these three factors combined,” Gupta said, “what we are seeing is that these fluctuations of streamflow become more wide.”

Even if Utah gets the same amount of total precipitation from one year to the next, the benefit the state derives from that precipitation can change based on how it falls.

When water arrives as winter snow, it gets stored for months and slowly trickles down as it melts. That creates a steady supply of water in streams and helps river levels rise and fall smoothly and predictably.

But if that water arrives in short bursts of intense rainfall, that makes it harder for the soil to absorb it, for reservoirs to capture it and for underground aquifers to refill with it.

The research published in the Journal of Hydrology examined climate and streamflow conditions nationwide from 1980-2013. In Utah, it focused on four watersheds: the White River and Salina Creek in central Utah and the Virgin River and Coal Creek in southwest Utah.

It can be tough to draw conclusions for the whole state from just a handful of examples, Gupta said, because each watershed is unique. But the signs don’t look promising.

“We are going from a stable state to an unstable state,” Gupta said. “The situation is not that bad yet, but we expect that it's going to get worse in the future.”

So what might the local impact of this trend look like in the southwest part of the state? Erich Mueller, a hydrologist with Southern Utah University, describes it as “flashy.”

Rivers rise and fall more rapidly. More severe storms and floods.

The exceptionally wet year Utah is experiencing now could be a symptom of this unpredictability, too. As climate change shifts temperature and precipitation trends over the long term, it could become more common to see extended periods of drought punctuated by short, intense wet seasons.

“It's not like we're not going to have wet years anymore,” Mueller said, “but maybe the pattern of wet and dry is changing.”

A study from the Utah Snow Survey showed that nearly all — north of 98% — of the water that sloshes down Utah’s streams comes from melting snow. Even in watersheds with lower elevations and warmer temperatures, such as the Virgin River in southwest Utah, the study estimates that snow contributes more than 90% of the streamflow.

Because snowpack elongates the time period in which that precipitation flows down, healthy snowmelt can provide dependable streamflow well into the summer. But warmer temperatures could drive more rapid snowmelt, both shifting the melting season earlier in the year and condensing it. So by the time the heat of summer arrives — when Utahns need water the most — there’s less streamflow around.

Streamflow petering out earlier in the summer, Mueller said, could even open the door for higher wildfire risks as soil and plants have more time to dry out.

And as rain becomes more prevalent in the colder months, another risk would be winter flash floods caused by showers falling on snowpack.

“It adds enough energy to both rapidly melt the snowpack [and] also we have that addition of the rain as well,” Mueller said. “So it's sort of like a double whammy.”

These types of floods haven’t been common, Mueller said, but have led to some of the worst flooding in southwest Utah’s history, such as the disasters that washed over the banks of the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers near St. George in January 2005 and December 2020, respectively.

Evaporation and population are two other factors that put extra pressure on Utah’s water supply.

As the climate gets warmer, more water is lost to evapotranspiration. In southwest Utah, Mueller said, up to 80-90% of all precipitation floats back into the atmosphere before it even ends up in streams and rivers. So towns like St. George are left with the remaining 10-20%.

If the region’s population today were the same as it was in 1950, Mueller said, that might not be much of an issue. But as one of the nation’s fastest-growing states, the demand for water is higher than ever.

“Just that alone,” Mueller said, “without any climate change at all, is going to put a stress on our water resource.”

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=1190,dis=none"><div _="@=1191,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — A final push of rain caused water to go over the Gunlock Reservoir spillway, creating some fantastic waterfalls but also causing flooding concerns.

The spill happened earlier than expected, finally breaking through around 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.

WATCH: Video shows powerful waterfalls at Gunlock Reservoir

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=1616,dis=none"><div _="@=1617,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

Although the falls are mesmerizing to watch, the excess water is also raising concerns for flooding in the surrounding areas.

Experts anticipate the Santa Clara River will not flood, but photos show the river flowing extremely high and even starting to approach the road.

The river remains in it's channel, The National Weather Service reports, but a flood advisory has been issued and experts warn people could see water on the roads.

Kayakers brave the Virgin River in Springdale below (Courtesy: Tricia Ackerman Yeo):

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=1953,dis=none"><div _="@=1954,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

Rockville resident Tricia Yeo captured video of kayakers going down the Virgin River, near George Barker River Park, in Springdale.

"I think there were three kayakers, one kayak had two people and the other one had, just one person," said Yeo. "He capped sized twice and I got him on the second capsize, but he was able to get up."

Flood watches were put into effect for parts of Southern Utah, including Zion National Park and Buckskin Gulch from 9:45 Wednesday morning to Thursday at 6 p.m.

Buckskin Gulch has been a problem area in the last several days, with officials in the area saying at least ten people have had to be rescued due to flood dangers.

Video below shows Virgin River near Washington Dam Road (@Cbasschronicles)

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=2294,dis=none"><div _="@=2295,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

Currently, a search is underway for a missing hiker in the area. Two other hikers from the same party, one dead and one alive, have already been hoisted out of the slot canyon.

WATCH: Helicopter video shows rescue operation in progress in Buckskin Gulch

The National Weather Service says heavy rain Wednesday afternoon will cause more issues along streams, rivers and slot canyons.

"In particular, the Virgin River at Bloomington is expected to approach, if not exceed, flood stage by Thursday morning," NWS reported.

A flash flood warning was also put in place until 2:30 p.m. Wednesday for western areas of Washington County.

Flash Flood Warning continues for Washington County, UT until 2:30 PM MDT pic.twitter.com/0uDQJCyrrF

— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) March 15, 2023

In northern Utah, Highland City reported that high water runoff in the northwest part of the city is causing flood concerns among residents.

The city was working to help homeowners sandbag to protect property and was soliciting help from volunteers to help in the effort.

Play/Pause

Mute/Unmute

Embed video

Playback Speed

Video Quality

Embed video

Copy the code below to embed the video.

<div _="@=2664,dis=none"><div _="@=2665,dis=none"></div></div> Copy

Playback Speed

2

1.75

1.50

1.25

Normal

0.50

Video Quality

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Picture in Picture Cast Fullscreen

Play/Pause >>

Mute/Unmute

0:00 / 0:00

Settings Closed Captions Cast Fullscreen

A video shared by the Mayor of Highland City showed water flowing down the street and encroaching in the road.

With shovels in hand, about 50 to 60 people volunteered filling sandbags near Beacon Hills in Highland.

"I was surprised how much water was going through the backyards of these homes," said Brady Mather, who lives nearby.

The hope was to help divert the high water run-off from impacting homes in the area.

"We had to get a hold of a lot of the property owners to ask, can we start building a channel to try to divert the water that's coming off the side of the mountains down back behind the intent natural channels," said Highland Mayor Kurt Ostler.

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Official in the town near Zion National Park voted repeatedly to up their pay without properly codifying the increases.

| Updated: 10:26 a.m.

Virgin • Municipal officials in Virgin, a small town 15 miles west of Zion National Park, voted repeatedly to increase their pay between fiscal years 2018 and 2022 without holding a public hearing or codifying the increases by ordinance as required by state law.

Mayoral pay went up from $400 to $1,000 a month, a 150% increase, over that period. Members of the Town Council increased their monthly pay by 250%, from $100 to $350. They also more than tripled the Planning Commission chair’s pay from $85 to $325. Pay for others on the commission jumped from $65 to $255.

By Mayor Jean Krause’s reckoning, Virgin overpaid its elected and appointed officials by $78,240 during that four-year period. Krause, who became mayor last January, said the pay hikes happened during former Mayor Matt Spendlove’s watch and doesn’t know why town officials quit complying with the law.

“It’s up to the mayor and town council that’s in office to know how to do things right,” Krause said. “My educated guess is that the previous council thought they knew what they were doing.”

Spendlove did not return phone calls, but Councilman Gene Garate, who has been on the council for three years and voted to approve some of the increases, said there was nothing nefarious going on. He said the previous mayor and council thought they were complying with the law by putting the increases in the budget each year.

Garate said each time the budget came up for approval, the meeting was properly noticed and copies of the budget with the proposed pay hikes were available to the public and discussed openly. But the increases were never put in ordinance form.

“Ignorance and errors on our part did not mean malfeasance on the part of the individuals that screw[ed] up. We just didn’t know,” he said. “It’s real easy for people to jump in and say all this shady crap is going on in this town. And that’s not the case. We try to do the right thing but holy criminy, there’s so much to keep up with.”

State code requires the cities to provide notice at least seven days before a public hearing to increase salaries. If municipal officials decide to hike pay, the code requires them to enact that increase by ordinance. Virgin town officials did neither.

Councilman Paul Luwe, a former city attorney for Bozeman, Montana, discovered the problem after he took office in January and wondered why he was receiving $350 a month instead of the $100 listed in the municipal ordinance. He notified Krause that the ordinance needed to be amended to reflect town officials’ current salaries.

Luwe said the mayor agreed but asked him to hold off until after the budget for fiscal year 2023, which contained yet another proposed pay increase was approved, so the city would not be processing two amendments to the salary ordinance in a short time.

Krause said town officials intended to provide the public notice of the proposed pay hikes in July, but someone dropped the ball. Nonetheless, the salary increases went into effect in July, despite the lack of a public hearing.

Another public hearing set for August had to be continued to September, the mayor added, after another item on the agenda took up the whole meeting. On Sept. 28, the mayor and council members voted 4-1 to approve the ordinance to hike municipal pay and made the increases retroactive to July. Luwe voted against the increase.

The latest pay hikes for the fiscal year 2023 bumped up the mayor’s monthly pay from $1,000 to $1,200 and council members’ pay from $350 to $400. The planning commission chair’s pay increased from $325 to $400, and other commissioners’ salaries went from $255 to $300.

Ann Beshell, who has lived in Virgin for 20 years, said the lack of transparency is something many residents have come to expect from their elected representatives.

“I understand people need to get paid, she said. But they need to do everything according to the law. They can’t just say, ‘Let’s give ourselves a raise’ and not have to ask the townspeople about it.”

California transplant Tony Sweett, who has lived in Virgin since 2019, is more inclined to give Virgin leaders the benefit of the doubt. He said his interaction with council members Garate and Leroy Thompson has shown him they are upfront guys. “I have the utmost confidence in them,” he said.

Heath Snow, Virgin’s part-time city attorney, said he did not know until just recently about the illegal salary increases. Krause said it is unfair to pin the problem on Snow, who only weighs in on matters when asked by town leaders.

“He would never have been aware that the town had not done an ordinance for salary,” the mayor said. “[Part-time city attorneys] do not sit there with a microscope and watch every little thing the town does. That is not their job.”

At any rate, the mayor and council agree, the question remains what to do about it. Krause said a representative of the state Auditor’s Office, who contacted her after receiving a complaint about the salary irregularities, told her the council needs to decide to recoup the cost or enact an ordinance to forgive the overpayments.

Snow has advised town leaders the latter might be the better option. Luwe concurs, saying trying to force current and former city officials to repay the amount they were overpaid could cost the city more in legal expenses than the amount of money they could recover.

“You might have to proceed with a civil action to collect the money,” Luwe said. “You’re going to be suing many of your citizens. This is a small town, so suing citizens is going to have a detrimental effect on people serving [in municipal government] in the future.”

Garate doesn’t mince words about which of the two options he prefers.

“We’re a very small town; everybody knows everybody,” he said. " If you come in and start saying, ‘Well, we’re going to sue you to get the money — the $300 or $500 or whatever it was that the town paid you that wasn’t put into ordinance because we messed up.’ Holy criminy, it would rip our town apart.”

Krause and council members will meet Nov. 16 to consider their options. While the outcome of that meeting is not set in stone, the city is currently drafting a proposed ordinance that would essentially forgive the overpayments by approving the increases from fiscal years 2018 to 2022 and making that approval retroactive.

Correction, Nov. 10: This article was updated with the correct percentages of increases for the mayor and Town Council.

ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah welcomed a “one in a million” white bison calf to the Zion White Bison Resort and Zion Nature Park.

The female calf was born on March 31 at 7 p.m. to the resort’s 5-year-old female bison, Marshmallow, and BraveHeart, a 4-year-old white bull.

“A white bison is a rare animal that is revered and held sacred to Native American tribes,” McKell Davis, a spokeswoman for the resort, told St. George News. “If that happened, they had a ceremony; it was this very special thing.”

Davis said her online research shows the birth of a white bison happens in only “one in a million” births. The name for the calf has yet to be chosen.

When the resort initially opened in September 2021, it was called Weeping Buffalo Resort and had brown bison. But after the owner brought in a white bison and heard from local Native Americans that the white bison was sacred, he decided to bring in Marshmallow, BraveHeart and the newborn calf’s grandmother Ghost, an 8-year-old white bison.

Davis said the resort is committed to preserving and protecting the sacred animals while offering guests an unforgettable experience.

A news release issued by the resort shared its excitement about the newborn:

“The resort is eager to share this remarkable addition with its guests and promote awareness about the importance of conservation and the cultural meaning of these amazing bison.”

Access to the bison is limited to guests, Davis said, and general public viewing of the new calf has yet to be available due to ongoing construction at the resort.

Davis said guests are encouraged to appreciate the spiritual and cultural significance of the white bison while learning about their role in Native American traditions.

Currently, the Zion White Bison Resort provides a sanctuary for three white bison and two brown bison. The bison calves will be rehomed to Native American tribes when it’s time to wean the calves from their mothers.

The resort is located 14 miles away from the timeless beauty of Zion National Park and features 36 glamping units on-site that include tipis, covered wagons and cliff dwellings. The tents have modern comforts such as TVs, hot tubs and climate control. That number could increase by fall, along with an additional 150 RV sites, Davis said. Davis said future plans include a restaurant or a convenience store and also a hotel for the property.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

VIRGIN—The founders of Stage Coach Grille have opened a floor-to-ceiling, Santa Fe-inspired restaurant with a fine-dining menu, providing everyone from loyal locals to Kevin Costner a restaurant experience they’re sure to remember.

Defeating the odds isn’t a new story for George Rodinos, who co-owns Balcony One with his wife Cindy Rodinos. St. George News sat down with the couple along with chef Edgar Lopez and restaurant manager Ricki Triplet in their main dining area to hear how it all came about.

“This place would be absolutely nothing without these people right here,” George Rodinos said. “We have a great crew. With them, we’ve been able to stay open, stay alive and go forward.”

Balcony One, a predominately American restaurant with Mexican and Greek influence, opened two years ago this month and features an eclectic atmosphere with six different dining areas: the sunroom, the main dining room, a bar, an additional room inside the bar dedicated to Sam Zitting, an outside patio dining area and a balcony. At capacity, the restaurant can fit around 200 people. And sometimes, those people are celebrities.

Famous actor Kevin Costner has been to Balcony One twice. The first time, Rodinos said Costner’s rep ordered 15 sandwiches to-go, but when they came to pick it up, they were blown away by the restaurant. Costner came inside to see it for himself, and the group decided to eat their sandwiches in the ambiance of the restaurant.

“We looked at him, ‘Oh, it’s Kevin Costner,’” Lopez said. “He had hats and glasses and he decided to eat right here on the patio.”

A few months later, Costner’s rep called again, this time with a party of 19, and said Costner wanted his party to eat inside. George Rodinos said he originally planned to give the party privacy with an entrance from the back fire escape, but that’s not what Costner had in mind.

“He said, ‘Hell no. I want to go through the front door, and I want to show my wife what you and your wife have done here,’” he said.

George Rodinos has owned seven restaurants across the world from Greece to La Verkin. Born and raised in Athens, he came to the U.S. at 9 years old.

After breaking his arm rock climbing, he moved to Los Angeles to work at his father’s deli. What was expected to be a few months turned into 10 years and included personal ownership of three restaurants: Georgie’s Cafe in downtown LA, Georgie’s number two upstairs and Harlow’s restaurant, which he said was the first patio dining restaurant in LA’s downtown Garmon District.

From LA, he took on a joint restaurant venture in Miami, then opened a restaurant in Montreal, Canada. He then decided to move back to Greece in 1989, where he also opened a restaurant. Despite his Greek roots, Rodinos said the locals only saw him as an American and did not support the business. In an attempt to save a failing restaurant, he opened a bar – both of which went under.

“I went broke,” he said. “I came back to this country, serving tables and doing construction. I was an immigrant twice in America and that’s the beauty of the American dream – you can fail, you get the guts, and you start over again. You’re not that snob that used to be a restaurant owner and can’t serve tables.”

While living in Las Vegas, he visited Southern Utah and fell in love. He bought a camera and decided he would shoot his way through retirement.

“I got my camera, got the horses, it’s the end of the line, like, hang up and breathe. And just as I did, she came into the picture,” Rodinos said about his wife.

In order to be closer to her daughter and grandkids, Cindy Rodinos moved from New York to Southern Utah 14 years ago. That’s when the pair met for the first time and were married a year later in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple first built The Stage Coach Grille in La Verkin, which opened in 2015 and sold in 2018. They were officially ready to retire, a feeling that expired in two weeks.

“An opportunity arose,” George Rodinos said. “Cindy and I are people of faith and we felt that God opened the door for us. We wouldn’t be here without him.”

The couple bought the property from the owners of the Fairfield Hotel, who sold it at a quarter of the market value, with the following conditions: they couldn’t flip the property, they couldn’t sit on it and they had to build. They agreed, and Balcony One broke ground in late 2019. Shortly after, the pandemic struck the nation, but together, the Rodinos pushed through to open their doors in October 2020. From the color scheme to the authentic Santa Fe doors, the entire design of Balcony One was completed by Cindy Rodinos.

“I love Santa Fe, so I designed the place inside and out like Santa Fe,” she said. I’m the artist; he’s the businessman.”

After completing her first painting at 13, she said her paintings have been featured in eight different galleries in four different states. Paintings as well as her husband’s photography are for sale at the restaurant.

“My job is to eat here every night and talk to the customers,” she said. “We’ve gotten so much positive feedback. I hear a lot that we’re a gem in the desert.”

Dishes and desserts

When it comes to the food at Balcony One, Lopez brings 25 years of experience to the table and is responsible for everything from the main dishes to the desserts. And everything at Balcony One is made from scratch, right down to the salad dressings.

“This gentleman here, I say is the backbone,” George Rodinos said, pointing at Lopez. “Because if the food is no good, we’re out of business.”

With a career that began as a dishwasher at a LA restaurant, Lopez said he worked his way up while being mentored by a variety of chefs along the way. He remained at the same restaurant for 15 years, then moved to Las Vegas where he worked for Wolfgang Puck for 10 years at Caesars Palace, the Palazo and MGM. When he was asked by Rodinos to work at Stage Coach Grille, he jumped at the opportunity and has since been a part of Balcony One since its construction.

On the management side, Triplet said she’s been in the restaurant industry her entire life, and began by baking pastries, bussing tables and serving with her dad at a country club. Later, she met the Rodinos and worked at Stage Coach Grille alongside Lopez. Balcony One is a “family affair,” with her father as the butcher, smoker and dessert maker, her daughter making salads and appetizers, her husband in charge of the pasta dishes and her son as a busser.

“It’s much more of a family thing than it is a business thing,” Triplet said. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had a normal job that did the same thing every day. I like it to be interesting, to be something different.”

George Rodinos said they run Balcony One with the following philosophies: do the right thing, create a good atmosphere and provide great food and service.

“The second part of that philosophy is taking care of the locals,” he said. “If you build a good reputation, the word of mouth is worth more than anything. We’re in our 70s, so this is our last restaurant. For us, it’s leaving a legacy behind and this is the foundation.”

Balcony One is located next to Fort Zion at 770 W. state Road 9 in Virgin. Call 435-635-7141 or visit the Balcony One Website for more information.

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.