"The primary thing is, (the master plan) would be a resource not only for the cities but also for developers," Ellertson said. "They could say, 'If I want information on Utah Lake, here is where I go.' It brings a single point of contact.... The master plan will be a guiding tool, but the other information will also be something that is important."

Among the commission's members are representatives from Utah's Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. Occasionally representatives from the other agencies will present information to the lake commission on issues surrounding the lake that need to be dealt with.

David Wham of the Utah Division of Water Quality recently told the commission about the danger of an overgrowth of algae and invasive phragmites, or non-native marsh plants, that surround the lake. The algae is a threat to the lake's ecosystem and the phragmites are a fire threat, Wham said.

"I'm very encouraged with the effort that's been taken by the Utah Lake Commission," Wham said. "It's been neglected for a number of years, and now it's being realized for its full potential.... There was never a cohesive body that we could take these concerns (about Utah Lake) to in the past, but now we have the commission."

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