Release it too late, Hansen explained, and it would flow down the Jordan River the same time the snowmelt came in from the Cottonwood Canyons, creating a flood risk along along the river.

Snowmelt, the single biggest predictor of the river's spring flood risk, won't play a big role this year as there wasn't much snow to begin with across the river basin.

Moderate flood stage is 56 feet. As the river reaches 55 feet ... in and have everything turned around in a couple days," Tim Jordan, owner of Riverfront Live, said in a statement.

The Ohio River at Cincinnati was at 50.77 feet, as of midday Monday. It's expected to climb above flood stage Tuesday. The Cincinnati area got between two and three inches of rain over the weekend ...

Right now, the river is in minor flood stage at 53 feet and crests around ... and have everything turned around in a couple days," Tim Jordan, owner of Riverfront Live, said in a statement.