PROVO — The Utah Lake Commission is sailing forward.
Local mayors and county officials Thursday approved a draft of an interlocal agreement to establish a management authority that would work to utilize Utah Lake's natural resources and facilitate planning and development around the lake.
The document will be distributed to elected officials and other interested stakeholders for a 45-day public comment period, which is set to begin Sept. 1. It also will be available for public view online at Provo's Web site, www.provo.org.
"The basis of the agreement is that people are coming together to try to identify ways to make Utah Lake better," said Utah County Public Works Director Clyde Naylor, who with a team of lawyers drafted the document.
It's proposed that the commission include representatives from the county and nine cities and towns that border the lake, as well as from the state Legislature, the Central Utah Water Conservancy District and the state departments of environmental quality and natural resources.
Most of those respective entities have expressed interest in participating in the Utah Lake Commission, but no formal commitments have been made.
Provo Mayor Lewis Billings said the goal is to have firm commitments from the entities that want to enter into the agreement by the end of this year.
All Utah County cities and towns have been invited to apply as members of the commission's governing board or ex officio members of the board.
Municipalities and agencies with full membership and voting rights would be required to make a financial commitment to the Utah Lake authority, though dollar amounts have not yet been determined.
Ultimately, the commission's primary source of funding is expected to be federal, state and local grants.
"That's not likely to be possible to begin with," Naylor said. "But there are several grants that should be available to help accomplish the purposes of this commission once it gets established."
The Utah Lake Commission would be an interlocal entity similar to the Bear Lake Regional Commission, which was formed in 1973 to manage multi-jurisdictional issues of Bear Lake Valley.
Like the Bear Lake authority, the Utah Lake Commission would operate with a small staff — temporarily housed in the Utah County public works department — and coordinate efforts with existing government entities.
The commission would have no legislative authority but would act as an advisory committee to the state agencies, county officials and local municipalities on issues such as land-use planning for property surrounding the lake.
The commission also would help develop procedures to improve water quality and identify necessary action to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of Utah Lake.
"We all know that's been ignored," Naylor said. "There have been things that have been done, but not sufficient to really protect the water quality, the wildlife and the fish."
Studies and assessments also would be conducted to assist and improve all aspects of the lake — fish and wildlife, wetlands, recreational use, access and parking, transportation and economic activities.
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