Bulletin Board

Little Dell Recreation Area User Surveys

February 4, 2000

Little Dell Dam and Reservoir was completed in 1992. The 20,500 acre-foot reservoir provides flood control, drinking water supply and recreation.
The Little Dell Recreation Area located in Parleys Canyon (Dell Fork) 5 miles from Salt Lake City was open to the public during 1999 for its first season of operation. Russ Hone, Watershed Administrator, reported the results of a customer satisfaction survey in a report given to the Public Utilities Advisory Committee at its January 27th meeting. 

First opened to the public on May 18, 1999 the facility remained open until October 31, 1999.  The operation hours were from 8:00 a.m. to 8: p.m. daily.  Mr.Hone told the Advisory Committee that 4,160 people visited the site during the season with 1,270 vehicles paying the $5.00 per car entrance fee.  There were 258 surveys completed and returned for evaluation.  The survey results showed that 99 percent of the users were satisfied with the appearance and maintenance of the facility.  Mr. Hone quipped that "the recreation facility is considered not typical for Utah." The Army Corps of Engineers constructed the new facility as part of the Little Dell Dam and Reservoir Project, with restrooms, tables, improved trails and hand launched boat ramps. As the recreation site is within Salt Lake City's watershed, the reservoir provides drinking water to over 400,000 people, there is water contact restrictions. Swimming is prohibited, as are motorized boats on the reservoir

The uses of the facility were broken down to the following: picnicking 38 percent, biking 2 percent, hiking 8 percent and boating 52 percent. Fishing was included in the picnicking figure.

Comments from the survey participants included requests for:

  • Season passes
  • Longer hours
  • Drinking water
  • Swimming
  • Electric trolling motors
  • No fees
  • Accept National/State Senior Citizen Passes
  • Stock the reservoir with fish and
  • Move the tables into the shade near the water.

Mr. Hone recommended to the Advisory Committee that a trial program for seasonal passes be implemented next year for $25.00 per pass. He further recommended that the hours be changed to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the closing hours adjusted as the season changes and it becomes darker earlier.

John Myers Watershed Officer works in the Parleys Canyon  watershed area.
He noted that the picnic tables now located on the upper loop will be moved to the Mormon Pioneer Trail area, where there are trees and shade.  The Upper Loop Trail will be converted to a hiking/biking trail.  Benches will be strategically placed along the upper trail.  The other public requests will be studied and acted on at a later date. Mr. Hone in response to a question about the new Mormon Trail from Big Mountain to the Little Dell Recreation site said, "the trail was constructed under a trails grant of $75,000 through the State of Utah. The total project will be completed this spring, including a new bridge and rest rooms." Mr. Hone further noted that the new trail will provide a safer means of using the Mormon Trail, because people now have to use portions of  Highway 65 under dangerous traffic conditions.

The Public Utilities Advisory Committee approved staff's recommendations and added that it wanted a senior citizens discount of one dollar on the daily entrance fee and $5 on the season pass.

Question regarding this article can be directed to: russ.hone@ci.slc.ut.us