Summary: The Jordan River runs 58 miles from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake, through three counties and 15 municipalities in the heart of Utah's most populous region. With the population of Utah's Wasatch Front expected to more than double by 2050, impacts to the river corridor will increase. Because all major east-west transportation routes in the Salt Lake Valley necessarily cross the Jordan River, one of those impacts will be growing pressure for additional or expanded highway and road bridges. This grant will help fund a broad public involvement process to create a consensus vision to improve the river corridor that will explore development location and standards, riparian restoration, recreational opportunities, and ecologically sensitive transportation design in the corridor.

Project Status: Coalition for Utah's Future/Project 2020 signed its contract with FHWA and held its official kick off call.

After an exciting round of public input in September 2008 (over 700 on-line survey responses and open house attendees), the Coalition for Utah's Future/Project 2020 has been working hard to finalize the Blueprint Report. The report will be approximately 50 pages and will include the following sections: Natural History, Public Process, Vision Maps, Vision, Best Management Practices, and Implementation Framework.

The Coalition for Utah's Future/Project 2020 is currently working on revision and layout of the Final Blueprint Report through peer review and public comment. November 7, 2008 was the deadline for comment on the report and they intend to complete the Final Report by November 30, 2008.

The project team is currently facilitating an "Implementation Committee," including representatives from local, county and State government, as well as key stakeholders to discuss next steps and an Action Plan to keep the momentum going on this project once the Report is complete. Salt Lake County will be reviewing and most likely adopting the Report as an addition to their General Plan and County Policies in December of 2008.

Contact:

Gabe Epperson
Planning Director
Envision Utah
(801) 303-1453
gabe@envisionutah.org

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