community in Utah
Honey bee forage in Spanish Valley, Utah
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Utah. Against other Utah sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.7 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); grapes (nearest 3.4 mi NW).
When is the honey flow in Spanish Valley?
- First forage: Mar 1 (weedy mustards, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking late Apr (native wildflowers, spring-flowering shrubs, weedy mustards)
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Oct 31 (rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spanish Valley, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 23.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): native wildflowers, weedy mustards, spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): rabbitbrush, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, weedy mustards, rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 4 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi W, blooms early Jun – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Grapes: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.4 mi NW, blooms late May – late Jun
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Spanish Valley
Mostly: Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Shrubland; Colorado Plateau Blackbrush-Mormon-tea Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.1 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.31 mi N.
How Spanish Valley ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 8th | 25th | 19th | 58th |
| Utah | 40th | 72nd | 34th | 44th |
| Colorado Plateaus | 65th | 81st | 57th | 68th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 72% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Spanish Valley: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Moab 10 mi · Castle Valley 11 mi · La Sal 15 mi · Thompson Springs 37 mi · Monticello 42 mi · Green River 54 mi
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Spanish Valley (38.4743, -109.421); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.