Members of Lehi’s Environmental Sustainability Committee met Mayor Mark Johnson and City Council members Paige Albrecht and Paul Hancock for a canoe ride on the Jordan River on Tuesday, June 1. “We want to see how we can make the Jordan River more recreational. It’s a little piece of sustainability here in Lehi,” said Todd Munger, director of the Environmental Sustainability Committee.
According to Munger, water conservation is one of the top environmental issues in Lehi, along with air quality, recycling, energy conservation and transportation. The Environmental Sustainability Committee consists of five Lehi residents, five businesses and five Lehi City employees. They meet once a month to tackle environmental issues. “We’re always working toward better connectivity with our trails, and we wanted to make the Jordan River part of that connectivity,” Munger explained.
The party launched canoes at the Saratoga Springs RC Airplane City Park and made their way to Willow Park in Lehi. “I want to get a feel for what kind of asset we have in the river. I’m on the Jordan River Trail all the time, but not the river. I’ll be looking for spots where it makes sense to have a boat ramp. I want to know how we can make the Jordan River more accessible,” said Paul Hancock, before getting into a canoe.
Hancock served on the Jordan River Commission and often heard discussion about the lack of accessibility to the Jordan River. “The banks are high in many places and that makes it dangerous to launch a boat or a kayak,” he continued. “The water really is underutilized, even for fishing.” Hancock mentioned the need for parking lots near boat ramps as well.
“I’m wondering where we can put signage along the river, so people know where they are as they’re floating along. How can we show Lehi residents that this is a potential gem?” asked Paige Albrecht.
