Over $7M raised for Jordan River restoration projects. Here’s how it’s being used

Work is getting underway again to give the Jordan River ecosystem a boost.

Various entities gathered at the Big Bend Restoration Area on Friday to celebrate the beginning of a new large-scale riparian and watershed restoration initiative. It seeks to build on work to improve the 51-mile waterway after it received over $7 million from federal, state and local government, and nongovernment sources.

"This is a significant step toward a revitalized future for the Jordan River," said Kim Shelley, executive director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, before the event.

The initiative features four key projects scattered across the river's path.

West Jordan will lead the project to restore Big Bend's native floodplain and riparian forest while adding trails, river access and open space to the area. About a half-mile section of the river will be constructed as part of the plan. It builds on work that began in 1998 after damages caused by the nearby Sharon Steel Corporation mill just north of the site.

The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the Jordan River Commission are co-leading another project that seeks to remove phragmites, tamarisk and other invasive species within over a dozen spots across Salt Lake and Utah counties. The invasive species would be replaced with about 20,000 native trees and shrubs over the next two years.

Another project — led by the Rockies chapter of the National Audubon Society — centers around invasive species management and shorebird habitat restoration near the Jordan River delta, a key area for shorebirds by the southeast end of the Great Salt Lake.

The Jordan River Commission will also oversee a new outreach campaign to improve Jordan River watershed health, including an effort to monitor aquatic, riparian and upland habitat within the river's ecosystem.

Combined, the involved entities believe the four projects will play a "vital" role in creating healthier river riparian areas and restoring the river's watershed, among other things.

Most of the funding comes from a $4.99 million federal grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which was endorsed by Utah's congressional delegation. It was the lone Utah plan among the 74 conservation projects that received more than $141 million nationwide from the foundation.

The rest comes from state and local government contributions, private donations and "in-kind support" from various groups that totaled over $7 million to match what was required to receive the grant, project officials said.

“Together, we’re embarking on a journey to restore and rejuvenate this habitat, while fostering sustainable ecosystems for generations to come,” Shelley said.