Earl Jackson is a USU Extension Service Educator and is integrally involved in water conservation in the Salt Lake Valley. The goal of Earl's presentation is to explain the role Decker Lake can play in educating the community about wiser water use and address water conservation in residential and corporate applications.
Also, be sure to turn in Nomination Forms for April elections!
DLWPF is always indebted to those behind the scenes who keep the project alive and well and the momentum in forward motion. Thanks this month to:
Kathy Bugg Riley for her work on the ISTEA grant and to Kent England for being there when most needed, as usual. Earl Jackson for helping with the soil sample. Keith Kinghorn & Kent England for helping the funding process along. Bob Scott for orchestrating numerous critical pieces. Stacey Fogg for the article on the SARGENT presentation. And to all the others who help out with moral and physical support. DLWPF can't succeed without you!!
HEALTH BENEFITS AMERICA and FIRST HEALTH, two Decker Lake area businesses, provided DLWPF with letters of commitment "to donate $5,000 [each] in 1996", with a similar donation in 1997.
Like other area businesses, HEALTH BENEFITS AMERICA (HBA) and FIRST HEALTH have a strong interest in the clean up of Decker Lake both from an economic and aesthetic perspective, but also for the quality of life of their employees. One of the primary interests of HBA and FIRST HEALTH is to have a beautiful site as a neighbor. Employees in the area look forward to the lake for lunch hour relaxation and exercise available from the proposed trail system.
The recently submitted ISTEA grant submitted by the Grants Committee provided an opportunity for HBA and FIRST HEALTH to show their support by providing needed funds for the DLWP project while maximizing the opportunity for matching funds.
Kent England of HBA is DLWPF's Site Development Chair. Keith Kinghorn of FIRST HEALTH is a member of the DLWPF Board of Directors. Both have been key players with the Foundation and have been instrumental in helping the project progress. DLWPF is excited to have the backing of HBA and FIRST HEALTH.
It was close, but with some help from our friends (thanks Kent for the last minute copying!) The Grants Committee handed the ISTEA application to UDOT by the 5:00 pm March 15 deadline.
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 provides opportunities to use federal dollars to enhance cultural and environmental value of transportation systems. The application must be sponsored by a municipality. On March 4th WVC agreed to sponsor DLWPF and on Mar 12th Brent Overson and Mary Callaghan also gave their nod. Once again, the WVC and SLCo joined together in the interest of Decker Lake. Make sure you let your elected officials know you care that they care!
This year's #1 priority for ISTEA is bicycle/pedestrian trails. Working with Don Davis of Salt Lake County Trails, DLWPF illustrated how the proposed trail system at Decker Lake provides an impetus to link the Jordan River Trail System with the Magna/Decker Lake Trails. By providing trails around and a bridge over the lake, the Preserve provides an alternative route between Parkway Blvd and 3500 South.
We won't know if until June if our application is accepted, but whether we receive the funds or not, each time we go through the grant process it provides an opportunity to further define the DLWP project. It is an exercise in clarity. It also provides a timeline for businesses and community groups to show their support.
Thank you Richard Parks, Sumner Swaner, Don Davis, and especially Kathy Bugg Riley for helping put the ISTEA grant together.
DLWPF will present the Decker Lake Wetlands Preserve Concept Plan to employees of FIRST HEALTH at an in-house brown-bag lunch on Wednesday, March 27th at noon.
The presentation will address the current concept plan, solicit input from FIRST HEALTH employees, and provide an opportunity for employees to learn more about FIRST HEALTH's program supporting on volunteerism.
DLWPF is taking the Concept Plan around to businesses and community groups to generate interest and enthusiasm about the proposed project. If your organization is interested in having DLWPF present, call 977-4999.
Once again, DLWPF thanks FIRST HEALTH for their ongoing support for the Decker Lake Wetlands Preserve.
Several projects have been prosed to restore the Decker Lake facility to provide an excellent educational tool centered around preservation of the environment. Glenn Foust of SARGENT Engineers explained WVC's proposed facility to clean the water before it enters the lake.
Decker Lake receives the upstream urban runoff from five canals, the Kearns/ Chesterfield, at the northwest corner of the lake, being the largest. Water carrying pollutants from the surround- ing area has adverse effects on the habitat of the lake. The pollutants include sediment, heavy metals, nutrients, and bacteria, as well as larger items, such as trash.
In order to maintain the desired water quality of the lake, a concerted effort for remove these pollutants before they enter the lake is necessary. WVC received an ISTEA grant in 1994 to address water mitigation issues and contracted with SARGENT Engineers to design and construct a high-tech water treatment system to capture large items before they enter the lake and drop out sediment before it enters the lake, while allowing the water to run through to the lake.
The water treatment facility is equipped with two tanks equipped with special baffles, positioned diagonally into the tank, encouraging sediment to drop out rather than pass through to the lake, allowing the cleaner water to flow freely into the lake. The larger part of this facility will be underground. The tops of the tanks will be visible from the Decker Lake Trail will require maintenance to be coordinated between West Valley City and Salt Lake County. While no one wants the pollution to continue, DLWPF remains realistic and sees the water treatment facility as one more opportunity. An educational node will be placed by the facility explaining the process, why it is needed and why it is necessary to maintain high water quality in the delicate ecosystem of the lake.
Stacey Fogg is a Senior at the School of Engineering at the University of Utah and has been working as a volunteer on the Decker Lake Project.
Decker Lake Wetlands Preserve Foundation