Jordan River
The State of Utah claims fee title ownership of the bed of the Jordan River. The Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands (FFSL) has direct management jurisdiction from top of bank to top of bank of the river and manages the river under the Public Trust Doctrine for the use and enjoyment by the public. To ensure effective implementation of Utah’s multiple use policy, FFSL strives to assure public access to navigable waters for commerce, navigation, fishing, swimming, and recreational boating, while also working to preserve these lands in their natural state.
The Jordan River flows through three counties and fifteen cities as it makes its way from Utah Lake through the Salt Lake Valley and into Great Salt Lake. The river and its corridor are important environmentally, recreationally, economically and culturally for all the communities through which it flows. Management of the river requires cooperation and coordination between federal, state and local agencies, landowners and the public.
Jordan River Management Plan
In January 2017, the Utah Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) finalized the first-ever comprehensive management plan for the Jordan River, a sovereign land body, which flows through Utah, Salt Lake, and Davis Counties. Utah Admin Code R652-2-100 authorizes FFSL to prescribe land management objectives for sovereign lands. The beds of navigable waters within the state, including the Jordan River, are owned by the state but held in trust for the public. FFSL is required to ensure that all uses on, beneath, or above the bed of the Jordan River are regulated to ensure the protection of navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, aquatic beauty, public recreation, and water quality.
You may access the most current version of the Jordan River Comprehensive Management Plan through the interactive Jordan River Plan ESRI Story Map (link below). On this site, you can navigate through the river’s existing conditions, view interactive maps that illustrate river classifications and FFSL’s best management practices for sovereign land management. A PDF of the plan can also be downloaded by clicking the link below.