Salt Lake City recently purchased 305 acres of open land in the foothills near City Creek to help preserve the Salt Lake City watershed and a segment of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The purchase used up the last remaining money from a $5.4 million Open Space Bond Fund passed by Salt Lake City voters in 2003.
A press release from Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski lists all the wonderful open spaces taxpayers got for their money, including “seven open space sites along the Jordan River Parkway (35 acres), six open space sites in the foothills and along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (315 acres), and four open space sites along Emigration and Parleys Creeks (10 acres). Properties protected with bond funds include the scenic Bonneville Shoreline Preserve in the city’s north foothills, natural grasslands around the H-Rock on the east bench, Wasatch Hollow Preserve nestled along Emigration Creek, the Sugar House Draw connecting Sugar House Park to Hidden Hollow, and key parcels along the Jordan River corridor near North Temple that will facilitate completion of the 50-plus mile Jordan River Parkway Trail.”