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.