ST. GEORGE — A large amount of water and debris from flooding overnight has forced the closure of all the slot canyons in Zion National Park, while mud and debris is covering Kolob Canyon Road, the main road into the Kolob Canyons section of Zion, forcing its closure as well.
Park officials made the announcements Thursday morning on Twitter.
The Narrows is among the slot canyon trails that are off-limits until at least Thursday afternoon, if not later.
A U.S. Geological Survey gauge on the east fork of the Virgin River showed water levels rising from their normal 5 feet to 10.67 feet around 5:45 a.m.. That is slightly less than 11.7 feet the gauges read during the June 29 flood that caused extensive damage in the park and Springdale.
The level has gone down through the morning and was at right around 6 feet as of 10 a.m.
The park said 150 cubic feet of water is flowing through the river per second.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the Zion and Springdale areas, as well as several other portions of Southern Utah, which is forecasting continued showers and thunderstorms.
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