Watershed Law Enforcement

Protecting water quality at its source ensures safe drinking water.

November 6, 1998

Canyons east of Salt Lake City are protected watersheds.

Safe drinking water begins with source protection. Watershed protection is the first barrier against harmful bacteria reaching the consumer’s tap. Protecting the watershed from pollution helps by eliminating contaminants at the waters source, reducing the amount that needs to be removed by the water treatment process.

Salt Lake City’s watershed areas are designed as:

All of Little Cottonwood Canyon
All of Big Cottonwood Canyon
All of Parleys Canyon, north and east of Mountain Dell Dam, included Lambs and Dell Canyons
City Creek Canyon

In these canyon areas, the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, US Forest Service, Salt Lake County Sheriff, Alta Marshalls and Watershed Officers of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities enforce watershed ordinances. Violations constitute a Class “B” misemeanor.

City Creek is within the corporate limits of Salt Lake City and is subject to all Salt Lake City Ordinances.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Sgt. Lane Larkin, supervises enforcement of watershed ordinances in the Wasatch Canyons.

Salt Lake Valley Health Department Regulation No. 14 is authorized by Utah Code Annotated 26-24-20.

It is unlawful for any person:

To permit a dog(s) to be taken into the watershed area. This does not apply to seeing eye/hearing dogs or law enforcement dogs.
To pollute or allow pollution of any water in the watershed areas.
To operate any type of motor vehicle upon any property within the watershed (without permission) except on a highway or road open for public use, approved roads in residential/cabin areas, official picnic/camping area roads, and ski area parking lots. Emergency and official government vehicles are exempt when on official business.
To deposit any human excreta within the watershed areas other than into approved toilets. Cesspools are prohibited.
To permit a horse or any other domestic animal into the watershed area without a permit.
To camp overnight except in officially designed campgrounds. This does not apply to backpacking.
To backcounty camp unless the campsite is located over 200 feet from the nearest water source, and 1/2-mile from any road.
To bathe, swim or wash clothes, diapers, eating utensils or any other object in any spring, marsh, stream or other water source.
To throw or beak glass.

These regulations apply in the entire canyon watershed areas from ridge top to ridge top, not just in the immediate area of surface water.

Russ Hone, Public Utilities Watershed Manager has seen enormous change in the Wasatch Canyons during the last 25-years.

Salt Lake City’s Watershed Manager, Russ Hone, a 25-year veteran, has seen the number of people using the canyon watersheds increase dramatically over the period of his career. “With more people using the canyons, there are more problems in protecting the City’s drinking water quality,” says Hone. He continues, “the Wasatch Canyons have more visitations than Yellowstone Nation Park. The numbers continue to increase as the population grows along the Wasatch Front. Moreover, the visitations are bolstered with out-of-state skiers.” Adding, “The challenge of managing the watershed is to find the right balance between the various recreation uses in the canyons and protecting the environment and water quality.” Hone feels that even though the challenges are great, he appreciates the efforts of all of the agencies that have jurisdiction over the watersheds, and their dedication in protecting the drinking water supply.

According to Salt Lake County Sheriff records, the percent of watershed violations are camping 46 percent, dogs 44 percent, off-road 6 percent and others 4 percent.

Questions about watershed regulations should be directed to Russ Hone at 801-483-6705. Or e-mail: russ.hone@ci.slc.ut.us