2021 Drought Conditions Using USGS Streamflow Data – Little Bear River at Paradise, UT

Utah experienced one of its most severe droughts in 2021, with widespread hydrologic impacts across the state. This study examines the effect of the 2021 drought on streamflow behavior in the Little Bear River at Paradise, UT (USGS Site 10105900), using 34 years of historical data (1991–2024) retrieved via the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) web services and analyzed using Python. Streamflow metrics, including daily mean discharge, annual statistics, percentile flows, and flow duration curves, were computed and compared to long-term norms. Results indicate that 2021 had one of the lowest mean annual flows on record (27.76 cfs), approximately 3.1 times lower than the long-term average (85.28 cfs), with flows frequently approaching historic daily minimums. Percentile analysis and flow duration curves further confirm the severity and persistence of low-flow conditions throughout 2021. These findings underscore the hydrologic sensitivity of Utah’s river systems to extreme drought events and highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and robust data infrastructure to support water resource management.