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NEAR SALTAIR -- A 15-year effort to bring back bird populations around the Great Salt Lake is about to climax.
Early next month, the Audubon Society will open floodgates to create a sort of bird bath covering several square miles.
Dried out mud flats near the shore of the Great Salt Lake may be natural, but they're not ideal for birds. So the Audubon Society plans to make some big changes--the finishing touch for the four-square-mile National Audubon Gillmor Sanctuary.
Ella Sorensen, with the Audubon Society, said, "We'll be putting in enough water to attract the birds, to allow insects to develop in these areas."
The Jordan River abandoned old channels almost 3,000 years ago. In July, the Audubon Society will open floodgates and bring it back.
Millions of gallons of Jordan River water purchased from a canal company will flow through hundreds of dry acres. A new artificial wetland will replace vast bird areas lost to development.
"We have lost thousands of acres of habitat out on the great salt lake, " said Wayne Martinson of the National Audubon Society.
Sorensen explained, "You know, I have been up and down the shores of the Great Salt Lake for decades, and it's just a tragedy for someone who loves birds."
Artificial wetlands did attract birds successfully for Kennecott on a similar refuge nearby several years ago.
Ann Neville, with the Kennecott Inland Sea Shorebird Reserve, explained, "We've had a 10-fold increase in birds. We've gone from maybe 20,000 birds in one a year to over 150,000."
But are more birds a good idea near the Salt Lake International Airport?
Martinson said, "We are miles away from the airport. That conflict should not exist."
And what about bugs?
Martinson said, "It's far enough away that humans, where they daily work and live, are not going to be affected."
The 2,700 acres were mostly donated, the largest chunk by one anonymous donor. About half will be wetlands to benefit the birds. The ceremonial opening of the floodgates will be July 8. The Gillmor Sanctuary is not open to the public at this time, but the Audubon Society hopes eventually to make it accessible.
E-mail: hollenhorst@ksl.com
