SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands has formally rejected a controversial proposal to clean up Utah Lake by dredging it and building islands and bridges on it.
In a formal decision released Thursday, the state division blocked the proposal from moving forward. The formal record of decision, obtained by FOX 13 News, found the proposal would "not pass constitutional muster and be detrimental to the citizens of the state of Utah."
In an interview with FOX 13 News, division director Jamie Barnes said the lake bed itself is sovereign state lands.
"You cannot privatize lands, you cannot impede navigation on a public water body like a lake that is sovereign lands," she said. "Sovereign lands were given to the state of Utah under the Enabling Act and the public trust doctrine. So we hold that land for the beneficiaries of the trust which are the citizens of the state of Utah."
Lake Restoration Solutions, the company pushing the dredging and islands proposal, had sought the state’s blessing to proceed. The company has also filed an application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an environmental study to proceed.
In a statement to FOX 13 News, Lake Restoration Solutions president Jon Benson said they were made aware the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands had "technical concerns" regarding the application.
"We have been engaging with the Division to address the specific concerns shared. This record of decision gives us greater clarity on the path forward," he wrote. "We remain committed to our mission of helping to restore a healthy Utah Lake that could become an incredible recreation destination for all Utahns to enjoy while ensuring a future clean water supply and creating thousands of local jobs."
The idea has faced significant pushback from community groups. The Utah State Legislature this year added more of a process for any restoration project to get off the ground with increased input from lawmakers, the governor and state agencies.
"We are so grateful for state agencies who have the courage to do their job. We now hope that our energies can be channeled towards the ongoing 'constructive restoration' of Utah Lake," Craig Christensen, the executive director of Conserve Utah Valley, said in a text message to FOX 13 News. "So many good things are happening with Utah Lake, I’m glad the legislature has been supportive of transparency and due process of law."
Like the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake has faced its share of environmental problems (and Utah Lake feeds into the salt water lake through the Jordan River). The state of Utah has launched several major clean up efforts for the lake, which is a popular recreation area. Phragmites, an invasive plant species, has been cleared in several areas. Carp removal has also been done to help restore a balance. The entire lake has faced a threat of toxic algae, a product of pollutants in the water, hot temperatures and a changing climate.
Earlier this year, a state lawmaker told FOX 13 News he was considering a bill to rename Utah Lake to “Lake Timpanogos,” in honor of the Timpanogos tribe that settled here before Mormon pioneers moved in. Rep. Brady Brammer, R-Highland, said it was also his hope a new name would erase a stigma of mistreatment surrounding the lake.
Read the decision here:
