Comments sought on Utah Lake issues

PROVO — From adding sandy beaches to eliminating carp, most people in Utah County want a positive change to Utah Lake.

The Utah Lake Commission held open houses Wednesday and Thursday to educate county residents and receive their comments on how they envision Utah Lake. So far, the commission has heard suggestions to add private marinas for lakefront homes in the future or build a bridge across it for better transportation. Some people have even said leave the lake as it is.

Price said there have been several conflicting ideas, but the commission will look at all the comments. Currently in the early planning stages, the lake commission's board will have a meeting in which they will decide the direction of the master plan and which comments to include. Board members consist of representatives from most cities in Utah County, state agencies and the Legislature.

Although the commission doesn't have authority to create law, those who can make the decisions do listen to the commission, Price said.

"They are a member of the commission and we hope they would listen (to what the commission says)," he said.

He added that the mayors and representatives speak with the other members of the commission about ideas for the lake and what they believe is important for the lake.

"They influence one another, and they're able to bolster others," he said.

About 150 people attended the two meetings held in Lehi and at Utah Lake State Park to learn about the nuances of lake management and provide their ideas to the commission. Price and commission members hoped people would attend the open houses to help them take the lake in a direction the residents of Utah County want it to go.

The commission provided maps with the lake and some surrounding area. Each map was designated to explore different issues with the lake, such as nearby wetlands, proposed transportation projects, property owners around the lake, endangered species as well as many others.

Bruce and Susan Bankhead of Lehi said they were concerned with what happens to the lake and want it to be improved. They were surprised at how much property around the lake is privately owned and were concerned about whether that would affect the lake's future.

Lehi resident Paul Jensen said he learned quite a bit about the lake during the open house and how it affects the county.

"It has connections to all our cities," he said.

Price said he was pleased at the turnout and the wide variety of comments received.

"We recognize there's some tough things to work through," he said.

Maps from the open house will be available on the commission's Web site, utahlakecommission.org, next week. Anyone unable to attend the open houses can e-mail comments to Price at rprice@utahlakecommission.org.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com