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113-740: The parkway was conceived in 1971 primarily as a flood-control measure, but restoration of the floodplain, cleanup of pollution, adding trails and other recreational opportunities were also to be included. Requests for a river master plan included two reservoirs, the Lampton in South Jordan and the Riverton in Riverton and Draper , but plans for the reservoirs were dropped by the State Legislature in 1980. The Utah Legislature approved

226-584: A horse racing track , a polo and dressage field, indoor arenas and stables. The Salt Lake County Fair is held every August at the park. The 65-acre (26 ha) Bingham Creek Regional Park includes multi-purpose sport fields, a destination playground, a disc golf course, and biking and other multi-use trails along the creek. A 90-acre (36 ha) addition is in the planning stages that will include areas for BMX , basketball, pickleball, tennis and volleyball. The 67-acre (27 ha) Oquirrh Lake sits inside 137 acres (55 ha) of park and wetlands located at

339-591: A stream gauge in Salt Lake City that shows annual runoff from the period 1980–2003 is just over 150,000 acre-feet (190,000,000 m ) per year or 100 percent of the total 800,000 acre-feet (990,000,000 m ) of water entering the Jordan River from all sources. The Surplus Canal carries almost 60 percent of the water into the Great Salt Lake, with various irrigation canals responsible for

452-547: A bill in 1973 that created the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Authority. The Parkway Authority received $ 3 million in funds and was charged with constructing the parkway. The Parkway Authority moved slowly through the 1970s, primarily buying land and cleaning up the water, plus other cities were also buying land on the river. By 1986, $ 18 million had been spent on the parkway, mostly from state funds. Land had been purchased and trails constructed for

565-410: A city. Citizens voted to incorporate on November 8, 1935, and immediately issued bonds to obtain money for the water tank. The city was initially governed by a Town Board with responsibilities over parks, water and the cemetery. In 1978, the city moved to a mayor-council form of government and assumed local supervision of police, fire, road and building inspections from Salt Lake County . One of

678-421: A commission was established to determine an acceptable compromise for the elevation of Utah Lake. The commission's 1885 decision stated that if the lake level were to rise above the established compromise level, the Jordan River could not be impeded by either dams or flood gates. Additionally, the commission stated that after water pumps were installed at the source of the river, the pumps should all be working if

791-538: A gorge in the Traverse Mountains , known as the Jordan Narrows. The Utah National Guard base at Camp Williams lies on the western side of the river through much of the Jordan Narrows. The Turner Dam, located 41.8 miles (67.3 km) from the river's mouth (or at river mile 41.8) and within the boundaries of the Jordan Narrows, is the first of two dams of the Jordan River. Turner Dam diverts

904-415: A household in the city was $ 104,597, Salt Lake County was $ 74,865 and Utah was $ 71,621. Males had a median income of $ 65,722 versus $ 41,171 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 39,453. About 1.6% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over. In Salt Lake County, 9.0% of the population were below

1017-444: A narrow passage, and according to what they told us, it communicates with others much larger." The Great Salt Lake was described as the "other lake with which this one communicates, according to what they told us, [and] covers many leagues, and its waters are noxious and extremely salty." The next group of Europeans to see the Jordan River was the party of Étienne Provost , a French Canadian trapper. In October 1824, Provost's party

1130-710: A rapidly growing bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land , a land development company, has recently begun construction on the master-planned Daybreak Community for the entire western half of South Jordan, potentially doubling South Jordan's population. South Jordan was the first municipality in the world to have two temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Jordan River Utah Temple and Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple ), it now shares that distinction with Provo, Utah . The city has two TRAX light rail stops, as well as one commuter rail stop on

1243-626: A rate of .75 officers per 1,000 residents. City police made a total of 998 arrests, up from 910 in 2010. Total crimes reported were 3,338, up from 2,096 crimes in 2010. Total crimes contain categories that include everything from murder, rape and assault to disorderly conduct and DUI. The index crime rate per 1,000 people was 19.17, down from 21.42 in 2010. The city has 35 municipal parks and playgrounds that includes areas for baseball , softball , football , soccer , and lacrosse , volleyball , pickleball , tennis and skateboarding . Other recreational facilities owned by South Jordan City include

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1356-437: A result of this urbanization , South Jordan's economy went from agrarian to being a bedroom community of Salt Lake City. Kennecott Land began a development in 2004 called Daybreak, which is a 4,200-acre (1,700 ha) planned community that will contain more than 20,000 homes and includes commercial and retail space. In 2022, the remaining 1,300-acre (530 ha) undeveloped land was sold to Larry H. Miller Group. In 1981,

1469-649: A roughly rectangular area of 791 square miles (2,050 km ). The Subbasin is part of the larger 3,830-square-mile (9,900 km ) Jordan River Basin that includes the upper Jordan River, Utah Lake, Provo and Spanish Fork Subbasins. Four of the six largest cities in Utah are in Salt Lake County. The Jordan River flows through Sandy, with a 2010 population of 87,461; West Jordan, population 103,712; West Valley City, population 129,480; and Salt Lake City, population 186,440. Flanked on either side by mountain ranges,

1582-433: A source of food for fish and other aquatic life, and they function as a parameter by which to measure water quality and the health of the river. There are 34 different groups of invertebrates found in the Jordan River, most commonly of the class Oligochaeta (which includes earthworms ), mosquito larvae and caddisfly larvae. The state of Utah maintains a Sensitive Species List that includes "those species for which there

1695-461: A station at South Jordan's eastern edge at 10200 South. The FrontRunner extends north to Ogden and south to Provo . Electric service to South Jordan residents is provided by Rocky Mountain Power . Natural gas service is provided by Questar . High-speed internet connections are provided by Comcast , Qwest and Google . South Jordan city owns the water distribution system. Drinking water

1808-575: A total of 16.5 inches (420 mm) of precipitation per year. The mean maximum temperature is 91 °F (33 °C) in July and 37 °F (3 °C) in January Areas of higher elevation have two distinct seasons, summer and winter. One of the areas of highest elevation, Alta, Utah, receives 458 inches (38.2 ft; 1,160 cm) of snow annually, part of a total of 46 inches (1,200 mm) of precipitation per year. The mean maximum temperature

1921-539: Is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide and 0.8 miles (1.3 km) deep. Throughout the 19th century and up to the 1940s, water from the Jordan River watershed sustained the agrarian society of the Salt Lake Valley. In 1950, Salt Lake County had 489,000 acres (764 sq mi; 1,980 km ) devoted to farming. By 1992, however, the rapid urbanization of the Salt Lake Valley had reduced the amount of land devoted to farming to 108,000 acres (44,000 ha), which

2034-582: Is 73 °F (23 °C) in July and 31 °F (−1 °C) in January. The first known inhabitants of the banks of the Jordan River were members of the Desert Archaic Culture, a group of nomadic hunter-gatherers. A 3,000-year-old archaeological site, called the Soo'nkahni Village, was uncovered next to the Jordan River. The next recorded inhabitants, between 400 A.D. to around 1350 A.D., were

2147-486: Is a porphyry copper deposit where magma containing copper, molybdenum, gold and other minerals slowly moved its way to the surface and cooled into rock. By 1890, underground copper mining had started, and in 1907, Kennecott Copper Mine started open pit mining . In the early 20th century, mills were established near the Jordan River in Midvale and West Jordan to process ore. As of 2010, Kennecott Copper Mine's open pit

2260-588: Is a city in south central Salt Lake County , Utah , United States, 18 miles (29 km) south of Salt Lake City . Part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area , the city lies in the Salt Lake Valley along the banks of the Jordan River between the 10,000-foot (3,000 m) Oquirrh Mountains and the 11,000-foot (3,400 m) Wasatch Mountains . The city has 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of

2373-456: Is credible scientific evidence to substantiate a threat to continued population viability." The Lyrate mountainsnail and the western pearlshell mussel , both native to the Jordan River watershed, are found on this list. A 2007 survey of invertebrates and their response to pollution stated that the Jordan River was substantially to severely impaired with organic pollution and that it contained reduced levels of dissolved oxygen. Historically,

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2486-679: Is hazardous, prepares a course of action to reduce the hazard, and finds the parties responsible for the pollution. If a site is listed with the Superfund program, federal dollars are available for cleanup. The Kennecott South Zone/Bingham site contains contamination from Kennecott Copper Mine's operation in Copperton , at the base of the Oquirrh Mountains to Bingham Creek and Butterfield Creek. A 72-square-mile (190 km ) plume of lead, arsenic and sulfates (covering 9 percent of

2599-479: Is located at 11400 South and has 600 park and ride spaces. Two other stations are located inside West Jordan at the city boundary with South Jordan, the 5600 West Old Bingham Highway Station and the 4800 West Old Bingham Highway Station. The travel time between the Daybreak Parkway Station to downtown Salt Lake City is approximately 60 minutes. UTA's FrontRunner commuter rail system has

2712-507: Is now northern Utah was covered by a Pleistocene lake called Lake Bonneville . At its greatest extent, Lake Bonneville reached an elevation of 5,200 feet (1,600 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19,800 square miles (51,000 km ). The lake left behind lacustrine sediments , which resulted in a relatively flat lake bed, and the valley floors have seen today. As the region experienced an increasingly warmer and drier climate over time, Lake Bonneville's water levels receded, leaving

2825-420: Is provided by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District . Secondary water, a non-potable water used for landscaping, is provided from the canals running through the city. South Valley Sewer District operates the sewer system. South Jordan City contracts out to Ace Recycling and Disposal for curbside pickup of household garbage and recycling. University of Utah and Veterans Affairs operate large clinics in

2938-687: Is served by the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) bus system and UTA's TRAX light rail Red Line . The Red Line connects the TRAX line running to downtown Salt Lake City and the University of Utah . Two TRAX stations, with park and ride lots, are located inside the Daybreak Community. The South Jordan Parkway Station is located at approximately 10600 South and has 400 shared park and ride spaces. The Daybreak Parkway Station

3051-438: Is the common carp , which was introduced into the Jordan River and Utah Lake as a source of food after overfishing caused the depletion of native species stocks. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources regularly stocks the river with catfish and rainbow trout . Before the area was urbanized , mammals such as bighorn sheep , mule deer , coyote , wolves , beaver , muskrat and jackrabbits would have been seen along

3164-642: The FrontRunner . The first known inhabitants were members of the Desert Archaic Culture who were nomadic hunter-gatherers. From 400 A.D. to around 1350 A.D., the Fremont people settled into villages and farmed corn and squash. Changes in climatic conditions to a cooler, drier period and the movement into the area of ancestors of the Ute , Paiute , and Shoshone , led to the disappearance of

3277-554: The Fremont people , composed of several scattered bands of hunters and farmers living in what is now southern Idaho , western Nevada and most of Utah. The disappearance of the Fremont people has been attributed to both changing climatic conditions, which put an end to favorable weather for farming, and to the arrival of ancestors to the present-day Ute , Paiute , and Northwestern Shoshone . Although there were no permanent Native American settlements when European settlers arrived in

3390-563: The Jordan River Parkway that contains fishing ponds, trails, parks, and natural habitats. The Salt Lake County fair grounds and equestrian park, 67-acre (27 ha) Oquirrh Lake, and 37 public parks are located inside the city. As of 2020, there were 77,487 people in South Jordan. Founded in 1859 by settlers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and historically an agrarian town, South Jordan has become

3503-750: The Jordan River Utah Temple was completed. In 2009, the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple was completed and became the second temple to be built in South Jordan. South Jordan was the first city in the world to have two temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, namely the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple and the Jordan River Utah Temple. The second city to carry that distinction is Provo, Utah , about 30 miles to

Jordan River Parkway - Misplaced Pages Continue

3616-439: The Superfund program. Once the home of bighorn sheep and beaver , the contemporary river is frequented by raccoons , red foxes , and domestic pets. It is an important avian resource, as are the Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake , visited by more than 200 bird species. Big Cottonwood , Little Cottonwood , Red Butte , Mill, Parley's, and City creeks, as well as smaller streams like Willow Creek at Draper, Utah , flow through

3729-578: The United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers traveled the entire length of the Jordan River, surveying and making observations of the wildlife. In 1869 the river was used to float logs and ties utilized in the construction of the Utah Central Railroad . Around the year 1887 at Bingham Canyon in the Oquirrh Mountains, low-grade copper deposits were discovered and mining claims were filed. Bingham Canyon

3842-640: The Utah and Salt Lake Canal was completed. It runs parallels to the west side of today's Redwood Road . With the completion of the canal system, greater acreage could be farmed, which led to the area's population increasing. In the late 1890s, alfalfa hay was introduced and took the place of tougher native grasses which had been used up to that point for feed for livestock. In good years, alfalfa could produce three crops that were stored for winter. Sugar beets were introduced to South Jordan around 1910. Farmers liked sugar beets because they could be sold for cash at

3955-552: The Utah-Idaho Sugar Company factory in West Jordan. A big celebration was held on January 14, 1914, to commemorate the arrival of electrical power, the addition of a water tank and supply system for indoor pumping and a new park for South Jordan. By the 1930s, the area needed a water tank to store water for residents living further west. The only way to get a federal grant was to incorporate and become

4068-454: The willow flycatcher , gray catbird , warbling vireo , American redstart , black tern , and yellow-billed cuckoo are no longer found along the river. The common yellowthroat and yellow-breasted chat are still found in small isolated populations. The most common species now found are the black-billed magpie , mourning dove , western meadowlark , barn swallow , and the non-native ring-necked pheasant and starlings . Vegetation in

4181-412: The 2006 303d list; parameters that exceeded the standard level for at least part of the Jordan River include temperature, dissolved oxygen , total dissolved solids , E. Coli and salinity. Superfund sites are designated as being among the nation's worst areas with respect to toxic and hazardous waste . The Environmental Protection Agency is the federal agency that determines if a particular site

4294-567: The Aquatic and Fitness center , Community Center providing the senior programs, three fishing ponds stocked with rainbow trout and catfish by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources , and Mulligan's two miniature golf and two nine-hole executive golf courses . Salt Lake County operates two regional parks inside the city. The 120-acre (49 ha) Equestrian Park that sits adjacent to South Jordan City Park. The park grounds contain

4407-709: The Davis County border. A water trail for canoeing and kayaking is also being constructed, but dams, bridges, weirs and other obstacles hamper the use of the river. Riverside parks include the International Peace Gardens , 8.5 acres (3.4 ha) of gardens with each garden representing a different country; Redwood Nature Area, about 50 acres (20 ha) of natural areas; South Jordan's Riverfront Park, 59 acres (24 ha) of trails, fishing ponds and natural areas; Thanksgiving Point , including 15 themed gardens spread over 59 acres, and

4520-532: The Daybreak Community. Recreational opportunities include fishing , sail boating , kayaking and canoeing . The lake has been stocked with trout, bigmouth bass , channel catfish, and bluegill . In addition to the lake, the Daybreak community includes 22 miles (35 km) of trails, 37 parks and five swimming pools. The lake, parks and pools are privately owned by Daybreak's home owners association and are for residents only. Privately owned, but open to

4633-759: The Fremont people. When European settlers arrived, there were no permanent Native American settlements in the Salt Lake Valley, but the area bordered several tribes – the territory of the Northwestern Shoshone to the north, the Timpanogots band of the Utes to the south in Utah Valley , and the Goshutes to the west in Tooele Valley. The only recorded trapper to lead a party through

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4746-586: The Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake as remnants. The river's greatest slope, 27 feet per mile (5.1 m/km), is in the Jordan Narrows, while the rest of the river has a more gentle slope of 2 to 4 feet per mile (0.4 to 0.8 m/km). Approximately 237,000 acres (960 km ) (46 percent of land area) of the Jordan Subbasin is in the Wasatch, Oquirrh and Traverse mountains. The United States Forest Service manages 91,000 acres (370 km ) of land in

4859-587: The Great Salt Lake. Both the Oquirrh and Wasatch Mountains are fault-block mountains created from normal-slip faults where the mountains rise at the fault and the valley floor drops. The Wasatch Fault runs along the western edge of the Wasatch Mountains, and the Oquirrh Fault runs along the eastern edge of the Oquirrh Mountains. From approximately 75,000 to 8,000 years ago, much of what

4972-755: The Jordan River actually ran dry. In the 1950s, due to flood control measures to increase river velocity, large sections of the river were straightened in Salt Lake County. As part of the straightening process, meanders or curves in the river were cut off and the channel slope was increased. The river was also shifted to opposite sides of the flood plain in Midvale and Murray as part of local smelter operations. Floods in 1983–1984 caused Utah Lake to overflow its banks, flooding homes and farmland in Provo , Lehi and present-day Saratoga Springs. Dikes had to be constructed around Interstate 15 in Provo to prevent Utah Lake flooding

5085-519: The Jordan River area found on the Utah Sensitive Species List include the smooth green snake , the western toad , kit fox , spotted bat , and Townsend's big-eared bat . Combined with Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake, the Jordan River offers one of the region's richest bird resources. Over 200 bird species use the river for breeding habitat or as a stop-over on their migratory routes. Once-common native species such as

5198-482: The Jordan River floodplain where willow trees and cottonwood trees would once have been found. Plant species such as foxtail barley , saltgrass , rabbitbrush , cattails and other reeds are still found in small pockets along the river. Exotic pasture grasses such as orchard grass , bluegrass , redtop bentgrass , quackgrass , wheatgrass and fescue have become the common species of grass. The vulnerable flower, Ute's Ladies'-tresses , can also be found along

5311-565: The Jordan River was a cold-water fishery that contained 13 native species, including the Bonneville cutthroat trout , Utah Lake sculpin , June sucker , Mottled sculpin , Utah chub and the Utah sucker . Today, the Jordan River is a warm-water fishery with the Utah sucker and the endangered June sucker present only in Utah Lake. The Utah chub, however, is still found in the Jordan River. The most common species of fish encountered today

5424-590: The Jordan River, Mill Creek, a small wetland and traversed by the South Vitro Ditch. The site, operational from 1953 to 1964, contained a uranium mill and storage for uranium. In 1989, surface contamination cleanup was completed with tailings, radioactively contaminated soil material, and debris removed from the site. However, 700,000,000 US gallons (2,600,000 m ) of contaminated shallow ground water still remain, and studies are underway to determine what action should be taken. The Jordan River Parkway

5537-479: The Jordan River, on occasion, to stop flowing, and in response to the drought a pumping plant was installed at the outlet from Utah Lake. It was the largest pumping plant in the United States at the time, and contained seven pumps with a total capacity of 700 cubic feet (20 m ) per second. Twice, during the droughts of 1934 and 1992, Utah Lake levels dropped so low that the pumps were rendered useless and

5650-524: The Jordan River. The Midvale Slag site is a 446-acre (180 ha) site adjacent to 6,800 feet (2,100 m) of the Jordan River. From 1871 to 1958, the site contained five separate smelters that processed ores from Kennecott and other mines. The site was contaminated with lead, arsenic, chromium , and cadmium . Cleanup of the property is complete, although the Jordan River Riparian Project still underway as of 2010. Sharon Steel

5763-557: The Jordan was originally a cold-water fishery with 13 native species, including Bonneville cutthroat trout , it has become a warm-water fishery where the common carp is most abundant. It was heavily polluted for many years by raw sewage, agricultural runoff, and mining wastes. In the 1960s, sewage treatment removed many pollutants. In the 21st century, pollution is further limited by the Clean Water Act , and, in some cases,

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5876-742: The Salt Lake Valley, the area bordered land occupied by several tribes, such as the Timpanogos band of the Utes in Utah Valley, the Goshutes on the western side of the Oquirrh Mountain Range and the Northwestern Shoshone north of the Salt Lake Valley. In 1776, Franciscan missionary Silvestre Vélez de Escalante was trying to find a land route from Santa Fe , New Mexico , to Monterey , California . His party included twelve Spanish colonials and two Utes from

5989-691: The South Jordan Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized as a branch of the West Jordan Ward, giving South Jordan its name. The Branch consisted of just nine families. A school was built in 1864 out of adobe and also served as the Church Meetinghouse for the South Jordan Branch. As South Jordan grew, a new and larger building was constructed in 1873 on the east side of

6102-527: The State. The FBI defines violent offenses to include forcible rape, robbery, murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and aggravated assault. Property crimes are defined to include arson, motor vehicle theft, larceny, and burglary. For the year 2020, statistics published by the Utah Department of Public Safety 's Bureau of Criminal Identification showed South Jordan had a total of 60 police officers for

6215-483: The Surplus Canal through four gates and heads north with the Surplus Canal heading northwest. Parley's, Emigration, and Red Butte Creeks converge from the east through an underground pipe, 14.2 miles (22.9 km) from the mouth. City Creek also enters via an underground pipe, 11.5 miles (18.5 km) from the river's mouth. The length of the river and the elevation of its mouth varies year to year depending on

6328-478: The Utah County portion. Much of the work in Salt Lake County had been done from Murray north with the addition of Murray Golf Course, several smaller parks and about 4 miles (6.4 km) of canoe runs and trails. By 2000, two U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites were underway to being cleaned up. The Midvale Slag site sat adjacent to 6,800 feet (2,100 m) of the Jordan River. The site

6441-496: The Utah Valley Timpanogots band who acted as guides. On 23 September 1776, the party entered Utah Valley at the present-day city of Spanish Fork . The local Timanogots villagers hosted them and told them of the lake to the north. In his journal, Escalante described Utah Lake as a "lake, which must be six leagues wide and fifteen leagues long, [and] extends as far as one of these valleys. It runs northwest through

6554-718: The Wasatch Range. The vast majority of the Oquirrh Range is privately held, with Kennecott Copper Mine owning most of the land. The State of Utah has scattered land holdings of 9,800 acres (40 km ) throughout the subbasin and owns the beds of all navigable streams and lakes. The Jordan Subbasin has two distinct climate zones. The lower elevations are characterized as a cold, semi-arid climate , with four distinct seasons. Both summer and winter are long, with hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Salt Lake City receives 61 inches (150 cm) of snow annually, part of

6667-443: The area was Étienne Provost , a French Canadian . In October 1824, Provost's party was lured into an Indian camp somewhere along the Jordan River north of Utah Lake. The people responsible for the attack were planning revenge against Provost's party for an earlier unexplained incident involving other trappers. Provost escaped, but his men were caught off-guard and fifteen of them were killed. On July 22, 1847, an advanced party of

6780-561: The as-yet-unnamed local river drained Utah Lake into the saline Great Salt Lake. This similarity influenced the eventual name of the river, and on 22 August 1847, a conference was held and the name Western Jordan River was decided upon, although it was later shortened to the Jordan River . By 1850, settlements were established along the Jordan River, Big Cottonwood Creek, Little Cottonwood Creek, Mill Creek, Parley's Creek and Emigration Creek. In 1850, Captain Howard Stansbury of

6893-535: The border between the cities of Taylorsville and West Valley City on the west and Murray and South Salt Lake on the east. The river flows underneath Interstate 215 in Murray. Little and Big Cottonwood Creeks enter from the east in Murray, 21.7 miles (34.9 km) and 20.6 miles (33.2 km) from the mouth respectively. Mill Creek enters on the east in South Salt Lake, 17.3 miles (27.8 km) from

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7006-468: The cities of Riverton and Draper . The river then enters the city of South Jordan where it merges with Midas Creek from the west. Upon leaving South Jordan, the river forms the border between the cities of West Jordan on the west and Sandy and Midvale on the east. From the west, Bingham Creek enters West Jordan. Dry Creek, an eastern tributary, combines with the main river in Sandy. The river then forms

7119-509: The city manager oversees day-to-day operations. As of 2022 , the mayor is Dawn R. Ramsey. The city council meets the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 pm. Utah is one of the country's most Republican states and South Jordan follows Utah's trend with only Republican state and federal elected officials. South Jordan is part of Utah's 4th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives . For

7232-481: The city was 84.7% non-Hispanic White , 1.0% Black , 0.2% Native American , 3.8% Asian , 0.8% Pacific Islander , and 2.6% from two or more races. 7.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. As of the 2010 census , there were 50,418 people residing in 14,333 households. The population density was 2,278 people per square mile (880/km ). There were 14,943 housing units at an average density of 675.3 per square mile (260.8/km ). The racial makeup of

7345-404: The city was 91.5% White , 0.2% African American , 0.2% Native American , 2.6% Asian , 0.9% Pacific Islander , and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.0% of the population. The racial makeup of Salt Lake County was 81.2% White, 1.6% African American, 0.9% Native American, 3.1% Asian, 1.4% Pacific Islander, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race

7458-497: The city. According to South Jordan's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the principal employers in the city are: Jordan River (Utah) The Jordan River is a 51.4-mile-long (82.7 km) river in the U.S. state of Utah . Regulated by pumps at its headwaters at Utah Lake , it flows northward through the Salt Lake Valley and empties into the Great Salt Lake . Four of Utah's six largest cities border

7571-424: The cleanup and a consent decree legally obligating Kennecott to continue the rest of the cleanup. The Murray Smelter site was the location of a large lead smelter in operation from 1872 until 1949. The 142-acre (57 ha) site contained groundwater contamination from arsenic and lead, but the majority of the cleanup was completed in 2001. In Midvale, there are two Superfund sites that sit along 4 percent of

7684-405: The dams in the Jordan Narrows were completed by 1883. A second dam was built in 1890 a few miles (~5 km) downstream from the first dam and was constructed to better regulate the flow of two canals. Both dams have been rebuilt in subsequent years and operate as diversion points for canals rather than impounding water by the use of sluice gates and head gates. The drought of 1901–1902 caused

7797-554: The doors before proceeding into a railroad crossing. The same railroad crossing was the site of many other crashes in the following years with the last deadly crash occurring on December 31, 1995, when three teens died while crossing the tracks in their car. The crossing was finally closed, but not until crashes occurred in 1997 and 2002. In 1950, Salt Lake County had 489,000 acres (198,000 ha) devoted to farming. But by 1992, due to increasing population, land devoted to farming had decreased to 108,000 acres (44,000 ha). As

7910-467: The eastern edge of the city and provides two interchanges inside city limits at 10600 South and 11400 South. Bangerter Highway ( State Route 154 ), a six-lane expressway , traverses the center of the city with interchanges at 9800 South, 10400 South and 11400 South. The Mountain View Corridor , an eventual ten-lane freeway, is located on the western edge of the Daybreak Community. South Jordan

8023-536: The first Latter-day Saint pioneers entered the valley and immediately began to irrigate land and explore the area with a view to establishing new settlements. Alexander Beckstead , a blacksmith from Ontario, Canada, moved his family to the West Jordan area in 1849, and became the first of his trade in the south Salt Lake Valley. He helped dig the first ditch to divert water from the Jordan River, powering Archibald Gardner 's flour mill. In 1859, Beckstead became

8136-479: The first settler of South Jordan by moving his family along the Jordan River where they lived in a dugout cut into the west bluffs above the river. The flood plain of the Jordan was level, and could be cleared for farming if a ditch was constructed to divert river water along the base of the west bluff. Beckstead and others created the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) "Beckstead Ditch", which is still in use for irrigation of city parks and Mulligan's golf course. In 1863,

8249-427: The fluctuations of the Great Salt Lake caused by weather conditions. The lake has an average elevation of 4,200 feet (1,300 m) which can deviate by 10 feet (3.0 m). The Jordan River then continues for 9 to 12 miles (14 to 19 km) with Salt Lake County on the west and North Salt Lake and Davis County on the east until it empties into the Great Salt Lake. The United States Geological Survey maintains

8362-484: The founders of West Jordan in 1850, to provide water for his mill and one built by Alexander Beckstead, a founder of South Jordan, who built the Beckstead Ditch in 1859 to provide water for farmland. Many other small dams and ditches were also constructed in the first 25 years, several of which are still used as of 2010. All of these ditches irrigated only small amounts of land in the Jordan River floodplain;

8475-411: The freeway. Big Cottonwood, Parley's, Emigration and City creeks flowed down sand-bag lined streets in order to manage the overflowing streams. Additional dikes were built at the Great Salt Lake to protect railroad lines and Interstate 80. As a result of the flooding, the Utah Lake compromise level was amended to 4,489 feet (1,368 m). In the Jordan River, invertebrates play an important role as

8588-536: The government sector, 1,186 self-employed and 32 unpaid family workers. The mean travel time to work was 23.8 minutes. There were 4,153 people employed in educational services, health care and social assistance. There were 2,862 people employed in professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services. There were 2,420 people employed in finance, insurance, real estate and rental and leasing. There were 2,316 people employed in retail trade, 1,633 in construction and 2,050 in manufacturing. For

8701-459: The gravel path, a per-person fee is required for the use of the park. A trail-head is proposed on the north end of the park where the gravel trail ends. Salt Lake City maintains 3 parks and some parts of the trails along the river: The City of South Salt Lake, Utah operates 1 park on the river: Salt Lake County operates 4 parks and the trails which connect them in the vicinity of West Valley City, Utah : Murray maintains 5 parks along

8814-478: The lake reached an elevation of 5,200 feet (1,600 m) above sea level and had a surface area of 19,800 square miles (51,000 km ). The elevation of South Jordan ranges from approximately 4,300 feet (1,300 m) near the Jordan River in the east and rises gently to the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains at 5,200 feet (1,600 m). According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2020, there were 77,487 people in South Jordan. The racial makeup of

8927-473: The lake were to rise above the compromise level. However, if the lake level fell below the compromise level, pumps could be turned off so that water could be held for storage in Utah Lake. In 1875, the first large canal, the South Jordan Canal, was completed and it brought water to the area above the bluffs of the Jordan River for the first time. All told, five large canals that originated from

9040-426: The largest, the Beckstead Ditch, irrigated 580 acres (230 ha). By the late 1860s, it became apparent that new, larger canals needed to be built if more acreage was to be farmed. The first dam in the Jordan Narrows was constructed in 1872 and raised in 1880, sparking an outcry from residents living near Utah Lake who thought the dam was responsible for raising the level of the lake. After several years of dispute,

9153-441: The mouth. The river runs through the middle of Salt Lake City, where the river travels underneath Interstate 80 a mile west of downtown Salt Lake City and again underneath Interstate 215 in the northern portion of Salt Lake City. Interstate 15 parallels the river's eastern flank throughout Salt Lake County. At 16 miles (26 km) from the mouth, the river enters the Surplus Canal channel. The Jordan River physically diverts from

9266-524: The narrows, the river reaches the second dam, known as Joint Dam, which is 39.9 miles (64.2 km) from the river's mouth. Joint Dam diverts water to the east for the Jordan and Salt Lake City Canal and to the west for the South Jordan Canal . The river then flows through the middle of the Salt Lake Valley, initially moving through the city of Bluffdale and then forming the border between

9379-426: The poverty line and 8.9% of the population in Utah was below the poverty line . Of those people 25 years and older in the city, 97.1% were high school graduates compared to 90.8% in Salt Lake County and 87.5% in Utah. Those over 25 with a Bachelor's degree or higher weas 42.2% of South Jordan's population. There were 22,368 people employed over the age of 16 with 17,258 people working in the private sector, 2,744 in

9492-564: The pronunciation was "Provo"). On 22 July 1847, the first party of Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, and five days later another party led by Brigham Young crossed the Jordan River and bathed in the Great Salt Lake. The River Jordan (located in the Middle East ) drains the Sea of Galilee into the Dead Sea in a way which the settlers found remarkably similar to the way

9605-491: The public, Glenmoor Golf course is inside city limits. Salt Lake County-owned Mountain View Golf Course is 0.3 miles (0.48 km) north in West Jordan and Sandy-owned River Oaks Golf Course borders the Jordan River. South Jordan has a six-member council form of government. The council, the city's legislative body, consists of five members and a mayor, each serving a four-year term. The council sets policy, and

9718-454: The regulation and management of water quality in the State of Utah. Streams that exceed the standard contamination levels are placed on the 303d list in accordance with the Clean Water Act . The Act also requires states to identify impaired water bodies every two years and develop a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for pollutants that may cause impairments in the various water bodies. The Jordan River and Little Cottonwood Creek were included on

9831-585: The rest. The amount of water entering the Jordan River from Utah Lake is just over 400,000 acre-feet (490,000,000 m ) per year. Inflow from the 11 largest streams feeding the Jordan River, sewage treatment plants, and groundwater each account for approximately 15 percent of water entering the river. The Jordan Subbasin, as defined by the United States Geological Survey, is located entirely within Salt Lake and Utah counties in

9944-423: The river dates back 3,000 years. Mormon pioneers led by Brigham Young were the first European American settlers, arriving in July 1847 and establishing farms and settlements along the river and its tributaries. The growing population, needing water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial use in an arid climate, dug ditches and canals, built dams, and installed pumps to create a highly regulated river. Although

10057-452: The river. The Jordan River has been a repository for waste since the settling of the Salt Lake Valley. For 100 years, raw, untreated sewage was dumped into the river; farming and animal runoff occurred; and mining operations led to 40 smelters being built and contaminating the river with heavy metals, mostly arsenic and lead . In 1962, the river in Midvale recorded a total coliform level of about 3 million per 100 milliliters, even though

10170-462: The river. A "varmint hunt" was organized by John D. Lee around 1848, after the arrival of Mormon settlers. The final count of the hunt included "two bears, two wolverines, two wildcats, 783 wolves, 409 foxes, 31 minks, nine eagles, 530 magpies, hawks and owls, and 1,026 ravens." None of the original large mammals is found along the Jordan River today; they have, for the most part, been replaced by raccoons , red foxes and domestic pets. Animals from

10283-598: The river. Most of the Murray section has an equestrian trail alongside the paved trail: Midvale completed a portion of trail in 2001 connecting with West Jordan at 7800 South heading southeast to 700 West at approximately 8600 South: Good portions are completed either paved or graveled . Utah County maintains 5 areas/parks as well as the 9 miles (14 km) of trail between the northern county line and Utah Lake : 40°21′26″N 111°53′57″W  /  40.35722°N 111.89917°W  / 40.35722; -111.89917 South Jordan, Utah South Jordan

10396-466: The river: Salt Lake City , West Valley City , West Jordan , and Sandy . More than a million people live in the Jordan Subbasin, part of the Jordan River watershed that lies within Salt Lake and Utah counties. During the Pleistocene , the area was part of Lake Bonneville . Members of the Desert Archaic Culture were the earliest known inhabitants of the region; an archaeological site found along

10509-402: The site of the present-day cemetery. It had an upper and lower entrance with a granite foundation using left-over materials brought from the granite quarry at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon . The upper story was made of oversized adobe bricks. The main hall had curtains which could be pulled to section off the hall for classes. The meetinghouse also served as the "ward" school when it

10622-635: The south of South Jordan. In May 2003 the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple was completed. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 22.22 square miles (58 km ), of which 0.09 square miles (0.23 km ), 0.4 percent, is water. The relative flatness of South Jordan is due to lacustrine sediments of a pleistocene lake called Lake Bonneville . Lake Bonneville existed from 75,000 to 8,000 years ago; at its peak some 30,000 years ago,

10735-731: The state government between 2023 and 2033, the city is part of Utah Senate 's 17th district, and parts of the 39th, 44th, 45th, 46th and 48th districts in the Utah House of Representatives . South Jordan lies within Jordan School District . The district has seven elementary schools (Daybreak, Eastlake, Elk Meadows, Golden Fields, Jordan Ridge, Monte Vista, and South Jordan Elementaries), three middle schools (South Jordan and Elk Ridge, and Mountain Creek) and two high schools ( Bingham High School and Herriman High School ) serving

10848-406: The state of Utah criteria for the total number of coliform bacteria in water samples should not exceed 5,000 per 100 milliliters. In 1965, a new sewage treatment plant came on-line in Salt Lake City that prevented 32,000,000 US gallons per day (120,000 m /d) of raw sewage from being dumped into a canal. The Utah Division of Water Quality and Utah Division of Drinking Water are responsible for

10961-404: The students of South Jordan. In addition, there is Paradigm public charter high school, Early Light Academy and Hawthorne Academy public charter elementaries and two private schools (American Heritage and Stillwater Academy). Roseman University of Health Sciences , a private university, houses schools of pharmacy, dentistry, and nursing. Interstate 15 , a twelve-lane freeway, is located on

11074-464: The sub-basin. The Jordan River Parkway along the river includes natural areas, botanical gardens, golf courses, and a 40-mile (64 km) bicycle and pedestrian trail, completed in 2017. The Jordan River is Utah Lake's only outflow. It originates at the northern end of the lake between the cities of Lehi and Saratoga Springs . It then meanders north through the north end of Utah Valley for approximately 8 miles (13 km) until it passes through

11187-462: The topography of the land varies greatly. The Wasatch Range rises on the east, with a high point of 11,100 feet (3,400 m) above sea level at Twin Peaks , near the town of Alta . The Oquirrh Mountains rise on the west, with a high point of over 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above sea level at Farnsworth Peak . The low point of 4,200 feet (1,300 m) is at the river's mouth, where the river enters

11300-518: The trail. A part of the Utah State Park System , it is operated by the state of Utah and is open from April through November. There are four tracks, with tabletops and banked turns; two motocross tracks, and two for OHVs and all-terrain vehicles . State-required OHV programs are available at this location. Also available is a model port, with a runway and open space for model radio-controlled airplanes . Except to walk or bicycle on

11413-652: The water to the right or easterly into the East Jordan Canal and to the left or westerly toward the Utah and Salt Lake Canal . Two pumping stations situated next to Turner Dam divert water to the west into the Provo Reservoir Canal , Utah Lake Distribution Canal , and Jacob-Welby Canal . The Provo Reservoir Canal runs north through Salt Lake County, Jacob-Welby runs south through Utah County. The Utah Lake Distribution Canal runs both north and south, eventually leading back into Utah Lake. Outside

11526-433: The watershed is closely tied to elevation and precipitation levels. About 30 percent of the basin, mostly at higher elevation levels, is populated with oak , aspen and coniferous trees. At the lower levels, 27 percent of the basin is rich in mountain-brush, sagebrush , juniper and grasses. About 34 percent of the Jordan River basin is classified as urban. Russian olive and tamarisk or salt cedar trees now dominate

11639-487: The watershed) currently contaminates the ground water from the mine site all the way to the Jordan River. The largest inland reverse osmosis plant in the country was built in 2006 to clean up the ground water and a second plant has been scheduled for construction; completion of the ground water cleanup, however, is not projected until 2040. In 1998, the site was removed from the Superfund list due to Kennecott's progress in

11752-444: The worst school bus accidents in United States history occurred on December 1, 1938. A bus loaded with 38 students from South Jordan, Riverton, and Bluffdale crossed in front of an oncoming train that was obscured by fog and snow. The bus was broadsided killing the bus driver and 23 students. The concern about bus safety from the South Jordan accident led to changes in state and eventually federal law mandating that buses stop and open

11865-494: The year 2019, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported the city had 73 violent crimes reported to law enforcement, up from 27 in 2010; there were also 1,124 reports of property crimes , up from 1,050 in 2010. The violent crime rate was 94 per 100,000 people compared to a national average of 379 and 236 for Utah. The property crime rate was 1,148 per 100,000 compared to a national rate of 2,110 and 1,682 for

11978-521: Was 16.4%. The racial makeup of Utah was 92.9% White, 1.3% African American, 1.4% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 1.5% Pacific Islander, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race was 13%. There were 14,433 households, out of which 46.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.1% were non-families. 11.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who

12091-473: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.83 compared to 2.94 for Salt Lake County and 3.03 for Utah. In the city, the population was spread out, with 37.8% under the age of 20, 6.0% from 20 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for

12204-429: Was a 460-acre (190 ha) site adjacent to 4,500 feet (1,400 m) of the Jordan River which was used, from 1902 to 1971, for smelting copper from Kennecott Copper Mine. The site was contaminated with lead, arsenic, iron , manganese , and zinc . Cleanup has been completed, and the site taken off the Superfund list in 2004. Vitro Uranium Mill was a 128-acre (52 ha) site located in South Salt Lake, surrounded by

12317-423: Was contaminated from old smelter operations. The other Superfund site, Midvale Sharon Steel, sat adjacent to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of the Jordan River. Numerous amenities of public parks, nature/wildlife preserves, benches, grassy areas, picnic tables, pavilions, restrooms, playgrounds, parking lots, canoe marinas, off highway vehicle (OHV) area, model plane ports, and equestrian areas can be found along

12430-520: Was further reduced to 82,267 acres (33,292 ha) by 2002. Alterations of the Jordan River watershed began two days after the Mormon Pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley when water was diverted from City Creek for irrigation. The earliest dam and ditch along the Jordan River was constructed in 1849 to irrigate land on the west side of the river near present-day Taylorsville. Other ditches include one built by Archibald Gardner , one of

12543-497: Was held during the fall and winter months. It came to be known as the "Mud Temple", and was in use until 1908. In 1876, work was completed on the South Jordan Canal which took water out of the Jordan River in Bluffdale and brought it above the river bluffs for the first time. As a result of the new canal, most of the families moved up away from the river onto the "flats" above the river which they could now irrigate. In 1881,

12656-510: Was lured into a Shoshone camp somewhere along the Jordan River, where they were attacked in retaliation for the murder of a local chief. In truth, the murder was committed by a member of Peter Skene Ogden 's party. The men were caught off guard, and fifteen perished, but Provost and two others escaped. The river was historically named Proveau's Fork , as the Quebec-born fur trapper was known as Proveau and Provot, in addition to Provost (and

12769-545: Was originally proposed in 1971 as a flood control measure with two reservoirs, restoration of wetlands, shoreline roads for cars, walking trails, and parks. By 1986, $ 18 million had been used to purchase lands around the Jordan River and to construct the Murray Golf Course, several smaller parks and about 4 miles (6.4 km) of canoe runs and trails. As of 2010, the majority of the 40-mile (64 km) continuous mixed-use trail has been finished from Utah Lake to

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