Envision Utah has big dreams for Jordan River

On some summer day, you will be able to paddle a canoe through a lush nature preserve and stop for lunch at a cafe on the banks of the Jordan River.

That's Alan Matheson's dream, anyway.

"We have, for too long, neglected this river corridor," the executive director of Envision Utah told the Deseret News editorial board Tuesday. "It's time for that to change."

Envision Utah, along with Salt Lake County, has turned input from experts and thousands of county residents into a big-picture strategy to revive the 58-mile corridor, "changing the face" of a river with a major image problem.

The Blueprint Jordan River project calls for a trails and waterways connecting Utah Lake with the Great Salt Lake, with improvements and preservation efforts along the way. In some spots, Envision Utah pictures a swath of untouched wetlands and wildlife. In others, there would be bustling shopping districts along the banks, Matheson said, citing riparian developments in San Antonio, Denver and Boise.

"In each of those cases, it started with a dream," he said.

Still, big dreams come with big obstacles.

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, is sponsoring legislation to create a river authority board, but Envision Utah still doesn't have the money to pay for a full-time position to oversee the project.

Money, Matheson knows, will be hard to come by during a recession.

"Expecting any significant legislative appropriation is unreasonable this year," he said. "But we can still progress in this downtime economically."

Envision Utah is looking at a combination of private money and grants to jump start the project. Meanwhile, the county has looked at the possibility of bonding and tax increases, said Ann Ober, the mayor's chief environmental adviser.

The river also has problems with public perception. For many, Matheson admits, the Jordan River represents dirty water and high-crime areas.

Water quality is a "critical issue" that will be difficult to fix until environmental issues are addressed at Utah Lake, he said. Envision Utah officials expect crime to drop significantly near the river once municipalities and developers begin to focus on the area as a viable resource.

"It starts with a dream, and it starts with some enthusiasm," Matheson said. "We've got that here."

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