Jordan River (Utah)

Jordan River (Utah)

The Jordan River, in the state of Utah, United States, is a river about 51 miles long. It flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. During the Pleistocene, the area was part of Lake Bonneville. Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young were the first European American settlers, arriving in July 1847.

About Jordan River (Utah) in brief

Summary Jordan River (Utah)The Jordan River, in the state of Utah, United States, is a river about 51 miles long. It flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake. The Jordan River Parkway includes natural areas, botanical gardens, golf courses and a 40-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail, completed in 2017. More than a million people live in the Jordan Subbasin, which is the part of the Jordan River watershed that lies within Salt Lake and Utah counties. During the Pleistocene, the area was part of Lake Bonneville. Members of the Desert Archaic Culture were the earliest known inhabitants of the region; an archaeological site found along the river dates back 3,000 years. Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young were the first European American settlers, arriving in July 1847 and establishing farms and settlements on the river and its tributaries. It was heavily polluted for many years by raw sewage, agricultural runoff, and mining wastes. In the 1960s, sewage treatment removed many pollutants. The river was originally a cold-water fishery with 13 native species includingBonneville cutthroat trout, but it has become a warm-water Fishery where the common carp is most abundant. The current river is frequented by raccoons, red foxes, and domestic pets. It serves as an important avian resource, as does the Great salt Lake andUtah Lake, visited by more than 200 bird species.

It is the Utah Lake’s only outflow, and originates at the northern end of the lake between the cities of Lehi and Saratoga Springs. It then meanders north through the north end of Utah Valley for approximately 8 miles until it passes through a gorge in the Traverse Mountains, known as the Jordan Narrows. The Turner Dam, located 41.8 miles from the river’s mouth, is the first of two dams of theJordan River. The Provo Reservoir Canal runs north through Salt Lake County, Jacob-Welby runs south through Utah County, and the Utah lake Distribution Canal runs both north and south eventually leading back into Utah Lake. Outside the narrows, the river reaches the second dam,known as Joint Dam, which is 39.9 miles away from the mouth. The River flows underneath Interstate 215 in Murray, 21 miles and 20 miles from the east in South Salt Lake, where it travels through the middle of Salt City, where the river travels underneath a highway. Upon leaving South Jordan, the River forms the border between West Jordan and Bingham in West Jordan on the west and Sandy and Midvale on the east. From east to west, it combines with the main tributary, Dry Creek, to form the river of Taylorsville. The waterway runs through the city of Tay, 3 miles from east of the mouth of Salt Lake City, and then into Murray, 17 miles from west and 80 miles from downtown Salt City.