Utah Lake Nature Center

The Utah Lake Master Plan identified the goal of improving research and monitoring at the lake. One of the objectives of this goal is to construct a Utah Lake Research Facility. The Utah Lake Commission (ULC) will soon take an important step towards completing this objective.

The Governing Board of the ULC recently approved an expenditure from the capital projects fund of the ULC to hire a consultant to develop a site analysis and site plan for a Utah Lake Nature and Research Center. A State grant for improvements to Utah Lake from the 2015 legislative session will be used to cover approximately 25% of the analysis.

There are several spots around the lake where the Nature Center could potentially be located. The consultant chosen for this project will be responsible for analyzing the pros and cons of each location and will provide a recommendation on the site location to the ULC. A rough cost estimate for the construction of the facility and ongoing maintenance of the Nature Center at the recommended location will also be generated from this analysis, and will help determine the scope of the final project.

The Nature Center will include lab space and equipment for on-site lake research and monitoring. In addition, there will be areas for educational activities and amenities to accommodate a range of school field trip opportunities. Other potential features include boardwalks, wildlife and bird watching towers and a second story reception room overlooking the lake. The Nature Center will also be a major hub along the Utah Lake Shoreline trail which will connect Utah Valley Communities to this and other lake shore recreation areas and activities.

(The images above were taken at other Nature Centers and are examples of what features at the Utah Lake Nature and Research Center could look like)