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WEST VALLEY CITY — The monumental task of cleaning up the Jordan River along its 50-mile corridor will take hundreds of projects, a substantial chunk of money and efforts drawing on government, volunteer groups and community activists.
It won't happen this year, next year or even in the next few years, but it is possible, Laura Hanson, executive director of the Jordan River Commission, said Wednesday.
"It's taken us decades to destroy this river; it may take decades to repair," adding that in the 1960s, the Jordan became a "literal sewer. ... It was a disaster."
It's taken us decades to destroy this river; it may take decades to repair.
–Laura Hanson
Hanson, named to the position in March, addressed participants at the 2011 Salt Lake County Watershed Symposium on Wednesday, imploring the group to stay engaged and involved in the rehabilitation of the river and keep "doing what you do best."
The commission, which includes representation from Utah, Salt Lake and Davis counties, eight cities and an array of special service districts, was officially formed at the symposium last year and grew out of exhaustive study done by Envision Utah called Blueprint Jordan River.
Modeled after the Utah Lake Commission, the Jordan River Commission is designed to be the coordinating entity and clearinghouse of information to galvanize a cohesive approach to protecting the urban waterway, acquiring open space and improving recreation along the river.
Hanson conceded her job leading the commission will not be easy, wrangling diverse and often geographic-driven interests in the river that are segregated by city or county boundaries or competing demands.
"There are 138 projects identified in Blueprint Jordan alone," she said, in addition to goals and needs identified in other water rehabilitation plans aimed at protecting the river for such things as its watershed importance.
In a sense, Hanson said, her job is to play matchmaker among groups and individuals who want to embark on a project — making sure those efforts work in tandem, not in contradiction.
"It's kind of like a dating service," to bring together cleanup efforts, she said.
In the last few months, a technical advisory committee has been formed to tap professional expertise in areas such as hydrology, storm water systems, vegetation and recreation. About 40 people are involved.
A top priority of the commission, she added, is to respond to public desire to complete the trail system along the river.
"It may not be the most important in terms of watershed, but any time we can bring more people to the river to educate them, the more we build support from the public."
Email:aodonoghue@ksl.com
