Transcript of Mayor Mendenhall's river update with Lieutenant Governor Henderson:
MAYOR MIKE MENDENHALL
Hey, Spanish Fork. I'm Mayor Mike Mendenhall, and I wanted to get a message out today with a couple of keys about the Spanish Fork River. I'm joined today by Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson. Thanks for being here.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DEIDRE HENDERSON
It's great to be here with you always, Mayor.
MAYOR
She doesn't live too far from the river. And we're going to let you know some of the things our city and state have been doing to prepare for the snow runoff and potential flooding. We've been working hard for the last few months with our state and county partners to maximize the capacity of the river during the next few weeks.
You've probably seen our crews working in and near the river, and we'll continue to see flood mitigation work as long as it's safe to do so. We will also be placing heavy equipment near bridges and other trouble spots along the river in the near future. You'll also start to see and hear calls to action in the coming weeks in regard to our strategic sandbagging plan, which we will begin to roll out as high water becomes imminent.
LT. GOV
Now, every city is different. Spanish Fork has a great plan for the future. We also have a wonderful partnership between the city and the state, and we're proud of the river work that's been done to prepare for the runoff. We encourage everyone and cities around the state to listen to their local leaders. They are on top of the flooding situation. They know what's best for you and your homes in your current location. It's easy to look at what's happening in another city and think that you need to do those same things. But I encourage you to check with your cities and towns, your local leaders, and heed their calls to action.
MAYOR
City staff and our River Anti-Flooding Team or RAFT will continue to monitor the weather forecasts and predicted river flows each day.
Because the risk of flooding outside of the river floodplain is low, our priority and focus is the Spanish Fork River and surrounding area.
All of the river flow and forecasting data can be found on our website alongside frequently asked questions and other resources at spanishfork.org/flood. We will also be posting regular updates on that page and our social media platforms.
LT. GOV
Now we know the River Trail is a beautiful place to be, but with high and fast water we ask you to please be careful around it. Keep children and pets away from the water's edge and enjoy the river's majesty from a safe distance.
MAYOR
We can't thank you enough, Lieutenant Governor, and our state and county partners for the partnership in this process so far and in the coming weeks and months. Again, thank you, Spanish Fork City residents for heeding this call and living in the best place in the state, the home of pride and progress.