‘It makes me really angry’: Frustrations over littering, vandalism at Utah’s lakes and reservoirs

IVINS, Utah ( ABC4 ) — During the dog days of summer, people flock to Utah’s lakes and reservoirs. But not everyone is respecting the landscape, leaving trash or even their names carved into rocks.

Judy Franz, director of the Lake Powell Visitor Center, said it’s frustrating that some visitors think that carving their name into a rock wall is an acceptable way to mark a journey to Utah’s public lands.

“Take a picture,” she suggested instead. “Take it home. Put it on Facebook, splash it on TikTok or whatever, but please, please do not carve stuff into walls.”

Recently, Lake Powell has seen such vandalism along with just plain littering. It comes as the Glen Canyon Recreation Area is seeing an uptick in traffic. Last year, the park saw 5.2 million visitors.

Gary Lanphear, of Ivins, moved from California to southern Utah, in part, to enjoy access to pristine public lands. He lives just minutes from Ivins Reservoir and tries to get out there at least two or three times a month.

When he sees people not taking care of the reservoir, it upsets him.

“It makes me angry,” he said. “I’m old enough to contain that now, but, yeah, it makes me really angry. There’s no reason for it.”

Littering on Utah’s public lands can lead to fines no less than $100 and even community service.

Vandalism, such as etching on a tree or rock, can sometimes be punishable by up to two years in prison or a $20,000 fine under the Archeological Resources Protection Act.

If you see someone vandalizing public land or leaving behind trash, take a photo and send it to law enforcement, officials say. Better to let them handle it than to get personally involved.

Don’t forget to be vigilant of your own impact on Utah’s landscape.

“We have a motto here,” Franz said. “Leave no trace.”

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