BREAKING Proposal to clean up Utah Lake by dredging it and building islands and bridges rejected by state officials
In a formal decision posted Thursday, the state division blocked the proposal from moving forward. Division director Jamie Barnes had previously warned members of the Utah State Legislature that the project was “not legally sound” and may be “unconstitutional.”
Lake Restoration Solutions, the company pushing the dredging and islands proposal, had sought the state’s blessing to proceed. The lake bed itself is sovereign state lands, putting it under the purview of the division. Still, the company has also filed an application with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an environmental study to proceed.
The idea has faced significant pushback from community groups. The Utah State Legislature this year added more of a process for any restoration project to get off the ground with increased input from lawmakers, the governor and state agencies.