Utah Lake: Facts, Fiction, Fun

Sam updates listeners on recent events and activities at the lake, the results of a recent tour of all 27 public access points, new staff hires, how the management plan is coming along and why NOW is the time to visit Utah Lake!

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Ken Hoffman and Paul Burnett with Utah Division of Water Quality join Sam in discussing the Utah Lake Preservation Fund. This one-time grant of $30 million comes from ARPA, through the State Legislature, to Utah Division of Water Quality to Utah Lake. 18 projects received funding from the grant. We are excited to see the positive impacts on water quality at the lake, made possible in part by the Preservation Fund.

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Looking for something fun to do at Utah Lake?? We've got you covered with this episode. Sam talks about 5 upcoming events at the lake. The Field Trips for 4th Graders, Summer Fishfest, Paddle with Care, Utah Lake Festival and Utah Lake Scavenger Hunt are coming soon! Listen in for dates, details, tips and more. We think Utah Lake is the "Greatest Lake on Earth" and we love that you feel the same way! Come to one of our events and learn more!

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In this episode our staff will share a water supply update from the report the Utah Water Conservancy District has shared. Listen in to hear what the water supply and snowpack is, how it compares to previous years, how we rank here in Utah as well as the drought conditions in Utah and more specifically around Utah Lakes region. Some other things the report highlights is precipitation, SWE, and future forecast. You can click the link below to visit this report, which is a very useful tool that helps everyone to have updates on the recent weather data.

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Utah Lake has so many exciting things happening! In this episode you will hear from our staff who will give you a quick preview of updates regarding Utah Lake. Currently the Utah Lake Conceptual Management Plan is being made and there is a 30-day comment period ending on March 22. Our staff gives more information about this plan along with news about the Utah Lake Festival, snowpack and water levels and more!

In this exciting episode one of our staff members, Sam Braegger, shares six stories with some great experiences of his at Utah Lake. Listen in to hear all about Sam getting lost in the phragmites, seeing Utah Lake's beautiful ice stacks for the first time, waterfowl hunting and more! There are so many wonderful experiences we can have at Utah Lake and so many ways we can help others to have an even better experience than we have had!

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If you are looking to do some fishing, visit Utah Lake and participate in a fun competition listen in! This episode talks all about the Utah Lake Winter Fishfest that is going on right now! The Fishfest is a virtual online-only competition not a fishing tournament where participants congregate to compete. You will be catching a fish, taking a photo and repeating this process! In this episode our staff will explain all about the rules, qualifications, categories, ways to prepare and the exciting prizes you have the chance to win!

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This is the final episode of our series from the Utah Lake Summit! Listen in to hear from Utah County Commissioner, Tom Sakievich, who discusses the enhancements of Sandy Beach. Some of the benefits to these enhancements are better and cleaner access, restrooms, and restriction of motor vehicle access in order to improve the shoreline. 

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This is our second to last episode of our series, from the Utah Lake Summit! Listen in to hear from Joel Ferry, Director of Utah Department of Natural Resources, and Representative Stratton and Representative Brammer who are both from the Utah State Legislature. Each of them give a different perspective on how all of the different partners are working together to help and enhance Utah Lake, as well as how much the state is invested in Utah Lake.

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Here is another episode in our series from the FFSL Science, Policy and Management Summit for Utah Lake! In this episode you will have a chance to hear from Eric Ellis the Director of the Utah Lake Commission, soon to be Utah Lake Authority. The Utah Lake Authority was created to further enhance care and management of the lake. Eric shares more information about the transition from the Utah Lake Commission into the Utah Lake Authority, as well as the work being done through this transition and its results.

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In this episode of our series sharing recordings of speakers from the FFSL Science, Policy and Management Summit for Utah Lake, you will hear from John Mackey. John is the Director of the Division of Water Quality, and in this episode he will speak on what the water quality study is, how long its been going on, the goals that it is trying to accomplish, and what it means for the lake in providing long-term solutions to harmful algae blooms.

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In this episode of our series sharing recordings of speakers from the FFSL Science, Policy and Management Summit for Utah Lake, you will hear from Candice Hasenyager, the Director at the Division of Water Resources. Listen in to hear all about the drought response and water conservation efforts that are happening, as well as the things we can do to help in a short-term and long-term way, to work to save the precious resources that we have.

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In this episode of our series sharing recordings of speakers from the FFSL Science, Policy and Management Summit for Utah Lake, you will hear from Teresa Wilhemsen. Teresa is the Director of the Division of Water Rights, and in this episode she explains more about how water rights function and how Utah Lake is managed around those water rights.

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The next few episodes will be part of a series, where we will share recordings of speakers from the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands Science, Policy and Management Summit for Utah Lake. In this episode you will hear from Brian Steed the Executive Director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at USU. Listen in to hear more about finding solutions to some pressing problems we have as a state and connecting land, water and air researchers to Utah problem solvers.

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In this episode our staff discusses Utah Lake's preservation fund and management plan. Currently the Utah Lake Commission is transitioning over to be the Utah Lake Authority. The Utah Lake Authority will provide a bigger budget and direct management authority that will provide a more focused work on Utah Lake. There will be more collaboration, communication and a comprehensive view of the lake and how to make it better. You will hear more about how this is coming together and the next steps the Commission is taking!

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This episode you will learn all about the Utah Lake Adopt a Shoreline Program. The Adopt a Shoreline program was created many years ago to address the issue of litter at Utah Lake and help to keep the shoreline litter-free. Listen in to hear more about the 45 sections of the lake that have either been adopted and are being cared for or have the opportunity to be adopted!

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In this episode you will hear all about some of the exciting updates regarding Utah Lake! These updates highlight the Life Jacket Loaner Program, Lake wide marina camera network, Saratoga Springs City Marina, Provo River Delta Project trail closer update and more! Listen in to find out more!

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The Utah Lake fourth grade field trips are back!! These field trips are a way to educate 4th grade students in Utah Valley about Utah Lake. The presenters at these field trips are agencies and researchers at the lake who have volunteered their time to teach these students about topics including water conservation, water quality, water safety, wildlife and more! Listen in to hear more about this fun experience!

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As the drought is an ongoing concern this summer season with all of the heat, in this episode our staff decided to discuss some of the topics related to the drought. Some of these include the the drought in regards to the lake, tips from the slow the flow organization to decrease water usage, the impact you can make as well as work being done to try and enhance our efforts outside of just homeowners. Listen in to hear some of these informing topics.

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Boating is a blast and safety is key! There are a variety of people help to keep us safe and aware and in this episode we hear from two of the many. Ty Hunter from the Division of Outdoor Recreation and Devan Chavez from the Division of State Parks speak to us in this podcast episode about their efforts to help make people aware of boating and water safety, life jacket loaner programs, and some of the safety precautions you can take to stay safe.

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In this episode we hear from Hannah Bonner and Ashley Sumner from the Division of Water Quality, to understand more about who DWQ is and the role they play with harmful algal blooms. Hannah and Ashley share all about the structured process to monitor in advance, to react if there is one reported and to help notify people to be safe afterwards. There are also some fun stories towards the end of this episode, so listen in!

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The Utah Lake Authority is the Utah Lake Commission 2.0. HB232 created the Utah Lake Authority and our staff and the new governing board are working to set things up. The first board meeting was on July 21, so Sam Braegger, ULC/ULA Program Manager and Eric Ellis, Executive Director of the ULC/ULA discuss the setup process, the transition from ULA to ULC and some teasers to what is coming soon at Utah Lake! 

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In this episode we hear about what is going on in regards to algae blooms including their current status, things to know before you go to the lake, facts about blooms, long term and short term treatment efforts, new opportunities of funding for enhancing water quality and lastly a Utah Lake water quality study. 

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Whether you have heard the rumor of the alligator in Utah Lake or not, you better listen in to hear the Facts, Fiction and Fun behind the rumor! In this episode our staff tells all about the story and how the rumor came to be! This is a fun one, you don't want to miss it!

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Sean Thornton tells our staff about the app he created called Windy Lookout. Windy Lookout is an alert system for lake recreational users. Sean tells about how this app works, how it can help everyone safe and have updates on the forecast and what he has planned for the future! 

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Chris Crockett, who works for the Division of Wildlife Resources, speaks to us about the Utah Lake Fisheries Management Advisory Committee. Listen in to hear more about their vision statement and how they are working to make Utah Lake a great public resource for wildlife and visitors of the lake. Chris also tells about the great things that are happening as a result of the June Sucker Recovery Program!

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In this episode our staff talks about Utah Lake's accomplishments from 2021 and the work of Utah Lake Commission and its partners. Listen in to hear about the projects, funding, and outreach efforts from this previous year as well as some of the ways volunteers have been involved. All of these efforts work to help the lake and the public that use it!

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In this podcast episode our staff was able to speak with Dr. Janice Brahney who has worked on the Utah Lake paleolimnology research study. In this episode she talks about the research they have been able to find and the evidence that shows in the recent past there has been a shift from a clear water dominated system to an algal dominated system. If you want to hear more about what Utah Lake looked like 200 years ago, listen in!

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The Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the June Sucker Recovery program was celebrated on May 24th! Listen in to hear from a few people who have been involved in this program about the progress, what has been accomplished and the hopes for the future!

These interviews were recorded at the June sucker commemoration event, held outdoors at Utah Lake State Park. You may hear some planes flying into Provo Airport in the background.

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Listen in to hear a few questions from a 7th grader named Matthew who has been curious to learn more about Utah Lake! Some of the questions our staff answers for him include general information about the lake, who works on the fishery, what the Utah Lake Commission does to insure people’s safety on the lake, what the Commission is doing to get rid of the invasive phragmites and how the Commission plans to stop harmful algal blooms! In regards to staying safe on the lake boaters are encouraged to tune into the Channel 16 station on VHF radios! Check out these additional links for some great resources about the information talked about in this episode!

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In this podcast episode we hear from Melissa Stamp from the Mitigation Commission about the Provo River Delta Restoration Project. Melissa talks about the wonderful progress they are making on this project as well as the great opportunities it will open for different activities! If you listen till the end you will hear a few fun facts about some cool artifacts they have found during the project!

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On this episode our staff talks about all of the exciting upcoming events at Utah lake this summer! Some of the events include the Utah lake scavenger hunt, the 20th commemoration of the creation of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program Open House, the Provo River Delta Saturday Site Tours and Stewardship Projects, the Utah Lake Photo contest, the Paddle with Care Fundraiser Event, and more! Save the dates to your calendar because there will be a chance to win some fun prizes!

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The Commission is doing a Water Safety Awareness Campaign this month! Included in this campaign are some wonderful events to support it. Our staff spoke to Kim Ray about the Paddle with Care event, as well as to Jason Both about the Photo Fundraiser. Both of these events are being held to support the Utah Lake Life Jacket Program! In this episode there is also some wonderful information about how to be safe while participating in the many fun activities on the Lake!

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Vineyard City Community Development Director Morgan Brim talks with our staff about the plans the city has for the lake shoreline. The trails along the lakeshore, the master planned downtown development that will draw people through from the incoming Frontrunner station down a boulevard to the lake, and so much more. Vineyard City and its residents LOVE Utah Lake and are showing it through the work they do to protect and enhance Utah Lake, taking collaborative and comprehensive planning to provide the best amenity possible to the public. 

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This special episode was created in partnership with Vineyard City to feature stories and information about Vineyard as something Vineyard residents can listen to at the Vineyard Earth Day beautification project on the Utah Lake shoreline. Vineyard City cares about Utah Lake and Vineyard residents want love living near the lake. This episode talks about the history of Vineyard and Utah Lake, reason why Vineyard is great today and why it will continue to be great and be connected with the lake. Listen in to enjoy a storytelling experience, updates on amazing lakeside amenities and amazing plans for the future.

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Jeremy Lapin, Saratoga Springs City Public Works Director, shares details on city projects to enhance and protect the Utah Lake shoreline for Saratoga residents and visitors. Expanding the existing city marina, completing sections of trail to provide connection opportunities for trail users, developing a NEW second city marina on the north side and even plans to develop a park at the Inlet hot springs! Listen in to learn more about each of these and other projects.

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*This episode is numbered 58 2.0 because it replaced episode 58 which had audio quality issues. Instead of fixing issues, we had Erica Gaddis with DWQ do a special audio interview, specifically for the podcast. Enjoy!

Ever asked yourself, “What is being done to fix algae blooms at Utah Lake”? or “What kind of research are they doing”? This episode contains audio from the June 17, 2021 Utah Lake Commission Governing Board meeting. In that meeting, Erica Gaddis, Director of Utah Division of Water Quality reported on the progress of several research projects going on the lake regarding nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen and their impact on algae blooms. Core samples to biassay studies and more are being completed to create a comprehensive approach to looking at the sources of nutrients (nutrients are the food for the algae blooms to grow).

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People have all kinds of questions about Utah Lake, and Google has the answers…sort of. In this episode, we discuss the top 6 questions people ask about the lake on Google, and what the answers are.

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We want you to stay safe out on Utah Lake. We want you to have fun too, but safety comes first. There are some tips and great resources to help you stay safe. Wear a life jacket, download the Windy Lookout app to be notified of wind event forecasts specifically for Utah Lake, get some education from State Parks or a similar organization, etc. There are some basic things that can improve your safety while out on the water.

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Russ Franklin with the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program shares the latest updates on their recovery efforts. The June sucker has been downlisted from endangered down to threatened, carp removal is adapting to the reduced number of carp left, northern pike are being monitored to prevent negative impacts on the lake ecosystem and more! Listen in to hear the latest on the June sucker.

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Sam and Audrey share tips on what is the Utah Lake Scavenger Hunt, the when/where/why and don't forget, how to increase you chances of winning prizes! Two inflatable paddleboards is the grand prize giveaway, but you'll probably end up playing just for the fun and educational missions that help you learn more about Utah Lake. The scavenger hunt runs June 5-13, so join now to get a head start!

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Melissa Stamp with the Mitigation Commission updates us on how things are going down at the Provo River Delta Restoration Project. Almost 1/2 of the delta channels and ponds are completed already and they expect to make fast progress again this year. Melissa also shares some cool occurrences during excavation, like finding mollusk shells in the soil that are no longer found in the lake! There are even site tours available, if you want to see the project site. Listen in to to learn how to sign up.

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This episode discusses the lake as a gathering place. Over the course of a hundred years, there were over 20 resorts on Utah Lake. Swimming, restaurants, excursion boats, races, dancing, a mock naval battle and more were included in these resorts. Listen in for highlights on several of the resorts, their amenities and what people loved about the lake.

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What are harmful algae blooms? How can you stay safe while visiting lakes this summer? Is Utah Lake the only one dealing with algae issues? Learn the facts about algae, harmful algae blooms, cyanobacteria, and more in this episode. Dr. Kate Fickas with Utah Department of Environmental Quality answers common questions and concerns about algae. For example, did you know that algae blooms don’t just happen in Utah Lake? Dr. Fickas answers this question and many more to help lake users make educated decisions as they visit Utah water bodies this summer.

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Camping is extremely popular of late, might have something to do with people feeling trapped at home and wanting to get outside during the past year??? Utah Lake has 4 different campgrounds that you should have on your list of places to camp this summer! Lincoln Beach, Utah Lake State Park, Lakeside RV Campground and Lindon Marina all have great campgrounds. No long drives, peaceful scenery, great amenities, and it is surprisingly quiet. This episode covers why YOU should consider camping at Utah Lake.

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Pat Scouten, aka TubeDude, share insights on how to target walleye at Utah Lake. Pat has fished at Utah Lake for over 60 years and is renowned in the fishing community at Utah Lake. He talks about everything from time and place to take and bait to improve your odds of catching one of the elusive walleye in Utah Lake. Listen until the end to hear some sneak peeks on future fishing events and projects at the lake!

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$9.8M is going to projects as Utah Lake this year! In this episode we talk about where that money will be going and highlight 7 conservation and improvement projects that are making progress in 2021. An open-space park, a river delta, trails, new beaches and more are all covered here. Make sure to check out the links from this episode to learn more about each project.

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Making plans for summer time? There are several events happening at Utah Lake this year from spring through fall. In this episode, we share some details on those events PLUS, if you listen until the end, a sneak peek of a possible new event this year! 

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Clayton Wolf is passionate about Utah Lake, so much so that he spent 12 years trying to buy a lot in Vineyard so he could live with his backyard on the shoreline. In this episode of the Utah Lake Podcast, he shares what living on the Utah lake shoreline is like. Listen in to hear about why he thinks Utah Lake is so great, about how he and friends broke through the ice recently to go wakeboarding and how he helped a buddy propose to his fiancé out on the lake.

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