Construction of the Hobble Creek Restoration Project was completed in November 2008. This project involved relocating approximately 3,000 linear feet of Hobble Creek where it enters Utah Lake in Springville, Utah, and excavating more than 14 acres of floodplain wetland habitat adjacent to the new stream channel.

Project objectives included: restoring a more naturally-functioning interface with Utah Lake to provide high quality rearing habitat and spawning access for June sucker, an endangered fish species native to Utah Lake; providing wetland mitigation offsets for Utah Transit Authority (UTA) commuter rail development in Utah County; facilitating environmental commitments for delivery of Central Utah Project water to Hobble Creek to assist June sucker recovery; and, creating additional wetland and wildlife habitat on the shores of Utah Lake.

The project was implemented as a joint effort by the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program and UTA, with additional involvement from the U.S. Department of the Interior Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District. The project illustrates the benefits of multi-agency partnerships, and will serve as a valuable resource and research area as June sucker recovery efforts continue.

• A DVD entitled “Utah Lake: Legacy” will be shown on the bus to Hobble Creek.
• A representative from the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program will be the tour guide.
• A packet filled with information about the project and the June Sucker Recovery Implementation
  Program will be provided
• The Hobble Creek tour will be a walking tour of the creek. The tour group will probably walk
  along the berm rather than right along the creek so as not to disrupt the vegetation.
• We are hoping to have someone from the Utah Lake Commission speak about the Commission
  during lunch.
• The tour group can relax and enjoy Utah Lake State Park after lunch.

Antelope Island State Park, consisting of 28,022 acres, is the largest island in the Great Salt Lake measuring 15 miles long and seven miles wide at its widest point. The lowest elevation of the island is about 4,200 feet. Frary Peak is the island's highest point at 6,596 feet. Rich in scenic beauty and natural features, Antelope Island is the perfect place to view the Great Salt Lake and experience the vast solitude of the Great Basin.

In 1969, Utah State Parks and Recreation purchased 2,000 acres on the northern tip of Antelope Island. In 1981, the remaining acreage was purchased for recreational purposes. With the purchase of the island, the previous landowner donated approximately 250 bison to the agency. The world-renowned herd is managed by the current Utah Division of Parks and Recreation and visitors are welcome at the island's buffalo corral and management facilities. An annual Bison Roundup is held each November to check the health of the bison herd and cull excess bison. During the annual roundup, visitors can get a close-up look at the bison and the techniques used on a working buffalo ranch.

From the mainland, the island appears barren and deserted. But Antelope Island is home to a variety of flora and fauna native to the Great Basin region. Antelope Island is also home to bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyote, and a wide variety of birds. The island was without its namesake antelope for many years, but they were reintroduced in 1993 and can now be seen in many areas of the park. Bison are often a regular sight as well. Though surrounded by water that is up to five times saltier than the ocean, wildlife viewing opportunities abound on this island of grasslands, wetlands, and miles of shoreline.

The Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. At the current level the Great Salt Lake is approximately 75 miles long and about 35 miles wide. The Great Salt Lake is the remnant of Lake Bonneville; a great ice-age lake that rose dramatically from a small saline lake 30,000 years ago. The most conspicuous reminders of Lake Bonneville are the ancient terraces etched into the landscape along the lakes former shorelines. The terraces were eroded by wave action and are relatively flat areas that follow a contour line.

The Great Salt Lake is salty because it is a terminal lake as it does not have an outlet. Tributary rivers are constantly bringing in small amounts of salt dissolved in their fresh water flow. Once in the Great Salt Lake, much of the water evaporates leaving the salt behind. ( read more )

The Great Salt Lake is too saline to support fish and most other aquatic species. Several types of algae live in the lake. Brine shrimp and brine flies can tolerate the high salt content and feed on the algae. Brine shrimp eggs are harvested commercially and are sold overseas as prawn food. The oft maligned brine flies do not bite or land on people and are the primary food source for many birds that migrate to the lake. For most of the summer brine flies form a ring around the entire shoreline and rarely venture more than a few feet from the water's edge. Biologists have estimated their population to be over one hundred billion. ( read more )

Standing at the overlook within the Bingham Canyon Mine, you can see, hear, and feel the breathtaking and awesome magnitude of the largest man-made excavation on earth. While you watch the action in the mine, a descriptive narration explains the operations. From the overlook, you can watch 240 and 320 ton capacity haulage trucks deliver copper ore to the in-pit crusher, where the material is reduced to the size of soccer balls before being loaded onto a five-mile conveyor that carries the ore to the Copperton Concentrator.

Inside the Visitors Center, you will take part in interactive displays and exhibits – including 3-D microscopes to examine rock and mineral samples, and displays showing how copper is used in your everyday life. You will also see exhibits ranging from old mining artifacts and model trucks to modern-day operations and environmental engineering as well as three-dimensional models that provide an educational and entertaining experience for people of all ages. There is also a 16-minute video tour of the history, present day operations, and future of the Kennecott mine.

This tour will begin with a visit to one of the major Olympic venues during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games. The Utah Olympic Park, located in picturesque Bear Hollow near Park City, was the site of 14 Olympic Gold Medal events in February 2002. Upon arriving at the Olympic Legacy Plaza, visitors will relive the glory of the Games through watching future athletes train and viewing historic memorabilia. A one and a half hour tour of the facilities will include viewing the ski jumps and the luge and bobsled tracks. There will also be time to view the Alf Angen Ski Museum which tells the story of Utah's famous ski industry as well as 2002 Winter Olympics.

We will then depart and go to Jordanelle State Park for lunch and presentations on one of the Wasatch Front's most important water supply facilities, Jordanelle Reservoir. While we enjoy a BBQ lunch presenters will explain how important this 314,000 acre - foot reservoir is to the overall water infrastructure of the Wasatch Front and how Provo River mitigation played a role in the completion of this facility. We will also learn about the newly constructed 13 megawatt hydro power plant located at the dam.

We will then have an opportunity to visit some sections of the Provo River Mitigation Project as well as the hydro power plant. After viewing these facilities we will drive back to Snowbird through stunningly beautiful mountain scenery.