Jun 2, 2024 - Things to Do

Utah map and database show low head dam hazards

Erin Alberty

A low head dam creats a churning current on a river. — A low head dam. Image via the National Weather Service

As temperatures soar, Utah's lazy rivers look better and better for a cool float. And now there's a way to locate a deceptive, deadly hazard you need to avoid at all costs: low head dams.

Why it matters: More than 1,000 people nationally have drowned in the currents created by the obsolete, underwater structures that span riverbeds — many of them in rivers that seem calm and safe.

How it works: Low head dams create a uniform, churning current that can suck victims underwater repeatedly as they try to swim back to the surface, overwhelming flotation vests.

Yes, but: You can find where they are and portage around them with a map and database created last year by BYU students.

What's inside: 13,000 dams marked on a map.

Explore to find the hazards and avoid that stretch of river — or portage around it if you trust your navigation skills.

Zoom in: People have drowned in the dam currents on the Jordan River.

A "boat chute" bypasses a low head dam at 100 South, but others could be hazardous.
Another was removed a few years ago near Murray.

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Utah map and database show low head dam hazards

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