UTAH COUNTY, Utah — A decision has come down from Utah’s Capitol Hill on the Utah Lake project to dredge and create islands and highways.
The Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands claims the project is detrimental to the state.
“The proposal is not constitutional and is not legally sound,” said Jamie Barnes, the division's director.
Barnes spoke Wednesday before the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment interim committee at the state capitol in response to House Bill 240.
The bill which was past last year gives the Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands say over any proposal that would aim to dredge Utah lake.
The group Lake Restoration Solutions has sought to dredge the lake and create islands that would go across, while potentially developing those islands for profit as well.
After the passage of the bill, the division met with the company as they drafted a memo outlining their plan. Following that review, the division has deemed that it is not in the state's best interest to explore the proposal any further.
“This project presents a risk to the state of Utah,” added Barnes.
Barnes also spoke about the future of the lake, saying while many believe it is getting worse, the division believes that they are working to make improvements without the need for the proposed plan.
*** A previous version of this article stated incorrectly that the plan to dredge Utah Lake had officially been halted. ***
