Jordan River Wetlands
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Selection Marker ImageUtah Lake Wetland Preserve
Selection Marker ImageSouth Shore Ecological Reserve
Selection Marker ImageGreat Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
Selection Marker ImageJordan River Wetlands
Selection Marker ImageWetland Conservation Plans
Selection Marker ImageWetland Photos
Jordan River photo by Jeff SaltPrior to European settlement, lowland riparian and wetland habitats along the Jordan River made it one of the region's richest avian resources. The intrinsic value of these habitats, coupled with the Jordan River's landscape position (connecting the internationally important Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake, and avoiding the high Wasatch Range and dry West Desert), made it an important resource for breeding, wintering and migrating birds. Today, a once natural, meandering river corridor providing abundant fish and wildlife habitat has been compromised by human development.

To help address this problem, open space areas with natural values along the Jordan River, which include areas acquired by the Commission as wetlands mitigation, have been designated the Jordan River Natural Conservation Corridor. These areas are not contiguous the length of the river, but provide habitat for riparian species and require similar management goals and objectives. The Commission helped develop a report, the Jordan River Natural Conservation Corridor Report that identifies these existing and potential areas, as well as management recommendations.

In 2001, the Jordan River Natural Areas Forum (JORNAF) was created to implement Report recommendations. In October 2002, twenty-eight forum members, including city, state, local and federal entities and private and non-profit organizations, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to preserve and restore the corridor. JORNAF is being coordinated by the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget. [Click here to link to their website].

The Commission has concluded its program for wetlands acquisition along the Jordan River corridor and is focusing on restoring the natural areas on three projects underway on Commission-owned or partially-owned lands. The Commission is also limiting its planning efforts to those related to the project areas.

In, September 2018, the Mitigation Commission and West Jordan City prepared a final Environmental Assessment and decision for creating riparian, riverine, wetland and upland habitat along the Jordan River at approximately 8600 South in West Jordan. The following provide information about this decision and its environmental impacts:

The Commission has been working with the Trust for Public Lands, Utah Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Salt Lake Audubon, Tree Utah, and Salt Lake County to restore Commission-acquired properties. Please refer to our Annual Report and Mitigation and Conservation Plan (see "Jordan River Watershed") for descriptions of project areas, agreements and locations of these properties.

 

 
Email Link to the Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission, urmcc@uc.usbr.govAddress for Utah Reclamation Mitigation Conservation Commission, 230 South 500 East, Suite 230, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102-2045, (801)524-3146, Fax (801)524-3148