SALT LAKE CITY — The waters of the Jordan River supported the Salt Lake Valley's agrarian society into the 1940s, fostering a network of dams, ditches and pumps put in by early pioneer settlers to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland.
Today, it flows under a busy freeway and through four of the state's largest cities — Salt Lake, Sandy, West Jordan and West Valley — its banks crisscrossed by bridges and its bed home to buried pipelines carrying natural gas and other substances.
The state, which owns the river bed and its banks to manage on behalf of the public, is in the midst of crafting a comprehensive management plan for the 51-mile river — the first time ever.
"There are a lot of uses on the river," said Brian Nicholson, project manager with SWCA Environmental Consultants, contractors the state hired to help develop the plan. "It is important that the many uses are compatible to the best of their ability."
An open house detailing some of the possible key management strategies for the river is set for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Day Riverside Branch Library, 1575 W. 1000 North.
The event is part of an outreach effort that includes a public comment period that runs through July 8.
The management plan will be finalized later this year, with a decision document issued in September. As part of the process, the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is streamlining how it issues permits for any modifications that might impact the riverbed or its banks.
The Jordan River, dubbed one of the top 10 polluted waterways in the country 12 years ago, has been the focus of an intense restoration effort by a diverse group of governmental, nonprofit and advocacy organizations that seek to preserve the open space along its riparian corridor and boost the recreational experience.
Industrial use along the river — two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites once occupied its corridor — led to a legacy of contamination. While state and federal regulatory efforts have helped clean the river, it is still challenged by pollution from urban runoff and other sources.
Back in 2008, a round of meetings drew together about 3,000 residents and interested parties who helped create Blueprint Jordan River. Out of that process grew the Jordan River Commission in 2010, which adopted its first strategic plan — a guidepost — for the river in 2015.
Management of the Jordan River and its resources over the years has been rooted in complexity and political fights. As early as 1880, a commission was established to settle a dispute over the first dam constructed at the Jordan Narrows.
Fifteen cities now border the river, each with different priorities on how its corridor should be managed.
Jason Curry, a spokesman with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said the plan is designed to lend some continuity to the state's role.
"The Jordan River has never had a comprehensive management plan, and it is important for us to get it right," he said. "This public comment period ensures that we are not missing something."
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