Wetland Mapping and Loss in Utah Valley (OFR-776)

By:  Peter Goodwin, Grant Mauk, Rebecca Molinari, and Elisabeth Stimmel

Summary: The Utah Geological Survey recently mapped over 7,000 distinct wetlands (123,000 acres) to update the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) mapping across a rapidly urbanizing area in Utah Valley. They also mapped spring locations and applied supplemental Landscape Position, Landform, Water Flow Path, and Waterbody Type (LLWW) to the wetland mapping, which supports conservation needs by identifying unique wetland habitats. By comparing archived wetland mapping to landcover datasets, they evaluated wetland losses within Utah Valley following an adapted NWI difference product methodology. Identified losses overwhelmingly resulted from converting wetlands to impervious surfaces and generally coincided with population centers along the north and east shores of Utah Lake, but isolated losses occurred throughout the project area. Clustered wetland losses near the cities of Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Vineyard indicate a general shift of wetland loss westward towards Utah Lake and the Jordan River that mirrors urban population growth and greenfield development of former agricultural lands. Some areas experienced nearly continuous losses over 40 years, indicating increasing urbanization maintains ongoing wetland loss in Utah Valley.

Other Information:
Published: 2026
Pages: 36
Location: Utah
Appendices: 2
Media Type: Paper Publication