With a flowing waterfall, giant fishing pond, nearby trail and surrounding wetlands, the Jensen Nature Park at 3176 S. Bluff Road, Syracuse, provides an outdoor adventure for Davis County residents.
Joe and Shantelle Soto of Clearfield brought their poles and bait to the park for a Friday night family fishing trip earlier this summer.
"It's just an awesome place for kids, families, even for me if I want to come by myself," Joe Soto said of the park.
He and his three children, Jazmine, 9, Joe, 7, and Izaiah, 3, were fishing on the bank near one of the pond's six bridges.
The park is only five minutes away from the Sotos' home. They have fished there more than once. Joe Soto said that good experiences at the pond keep bringing them back.
"On our last trip (Jazmine) caught two fish," he added. "One of which was 21 inches long."
Brett Eggett and C.J. Goodwin of Syracuse also have had success at the pond.
"In the spring we had a ball down here," Goodwin said, adding that they caught as many as 20 fish a day.
In July, the two men were using chicken livers and shrimp as lures for the pond's channel catfish.
"We just love to fish," Goodwin said.
The pond is stocked with several kinds of fish, including channel catfish, small-mouth bass, bluegill and rainbow trout in the spring and fall months. The pond falls under the Division of Wildlife Resources regulations; therefore fishers must have a valid license and the daily possession limit is four fish.
Also, people can use their floatation devices at the pond by city permit only, and there is no swimming, bathing or wading in the water.
Eggett said the manmade pond doesn't compare to other natural ponds or lakes they have fished, but it is still fun to have access to a fishing spot close to home.
"It's nice to be able to go somewhere where you don't have to travel a long way," he added.
Shantelle Soto said the park's landscaping makes it feel real.
"I like that even though it's created, it still feels so natural," she said.
The pond and its surroundings are all manmade, including the one-acre stretch of wetland and spawning bed habitat on its southwest side.
Mike Waite, Syracuse Public Works director, said that the Division of Wildlife Resources dug the pond. Then it had to be lined and 1 foot of material — dirt and rocks were placed on top of the lining before the area was filled with water.
After 3 1/2 years of planning and construction, the 20-acre park was completed in September 2006. Waite said the park's construction was funded by grants, local money and donated labor. He said several local youths and other groups helped work to get the park done.
Waite said it was built with two goals in mind.
"One was to provide an urban fishery for our residents, someplace where they could come down and recreate in their own town," he said.
The other goal was to create a reservoir for the city's secondary water system, Waite added. He said the city's secondary water system takes water out of the pond and pumps it into the pressurized irrigation system. A large building on the southeast side of the park serves as the pumping station.
But the park has more than just a fishing pond and pumping station.
It also has walking and jogging trails. A concrete sidewalk circles the pond, and there is also a trail system that makes a loop from the park to Gentile Street, up to 1000 West and then back to the park.
The park provides a place for people to gather. It has three large boweries that can be rented by the public. Other, smaller boweries dot the park and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Also, a large visitor center in the middle of the park can be rented for wedding receptions, parties or other events.
This spring the city along with the Division of Wildlife Resources started a youth fishing program at the park for children ages 6-12.
"This youth fishing program brought out around 90 children and taught them how to fish," Waite said. "There were several kids that caught their first fish at the Jensen Nature Park during the program."
Waite said that 170 children showed interest in the program, but they were only able to accommodate 90.
"It has been a very positive experience," he said.
Waite said the city and the Division of Wildlife Resources hope to offer more programs at the park in the future. He said that during the winter months there may be some indoor classes taught in the visitors center.
Waite said the park has been very well used. He enjoys going there.
"I like to go there and to be able to watch the sunset, and listen to the waterfall, and watch the kids play, and the families recreate together," he said.
E-mail: nclemens@desnews.com