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Show The Jordan River Park is an eight- mile corridor along the Jordan River from 1700 South to the Davis County line. Although the Jordan River does not offer swimming, activities include canoe and float opportunities, picnic areas, a jogging and exercise course, a handicap exercise course, an off- road vehicle riding area, and a par- 3 golf course. 15.4.3 Federal Parks The basin has thousands of acres of federal lands, including Forest Service lands in the Wasatch Range and Bureau of Land Management land in the south end of the Salt Lake Valley, but no federal parks. In addition to managing these lands and controlling the recreational use on them, the federal government is involved in funding city, county and state recreational development through the National Park Service Land and Water Conservation Fund grants ( LWCF). This program provides federal funds for outdoor recreation acquisition and development, and they are available to local governmental entities ( cities, counties and states) as 50/ 50 matching grants. As shown in Table 15- 1, $ 12.7 million in federal grants have been appropriated for various local, city, county and state projects in the Jordan River Basin since 1967. The total value of the projects, with matching funds, was nearly $ 26 million. Most have been city and county projects. Only two of the 72 projects have been state projects: Jordan River Parkway ($ 612,000) and Great Salt Lake Saltair Beach ($ 885,973). Not all of the Land and Water Conservation Fund grants have been for water- related recreation. While some type of minor water feature on a site is nearly always preferable, only a small percent of the projects were in association with major water features; e. g., Jordan River Parkway, Great Salt Lake Saltair Beach. Many other funded projects included some type of water- related park amenity. Water features are highly desired by park users for many reasons including the usual presence of a variety of wildlife and visual amenities such as reflective values, change and visual relief from surroundings, the audio values of lapping and running water, and recreational opportunities such as swimming, sun bathing, beach play, fishing, boating, rafting, scuba diving, waterfowl hunting and ice skating. A recreational component for Little Dell Reservoir has been approved and partially funded by Congress. This recreational component will include picnic and restroom facilities, interpretive nature trails, and facilities for small non- motorized water craft. 15.4.4 State River Way Enhancement Program A state- wide river way enhancement program was set up by Senate Bill 143 in 1986 to reduce flood damage, enhance water quality, provide outdoor recreation, provide fishery and wildlife habitat, aid in water reclamation, protect cultural resources, and provide a non- consumptive amenity in terms of functional open space along important river corridors throughout the state. This program is intended to protect river corridors and provide pubic access, which is a major statewide issue and need according to the Utah SCORP planning process and public surveys. 15.4.5 Central Utah Project Completion Act Section 311 ( d) ( 1) authorizes $ 500,000 to construct recreation facilities within Salt Lake County as proposed by the state of Utah for the Provo/ Jordan River Parkway. 15- 3 |