Explaining Infrastructure Repairs to the Public

This fact sheet was developed to support public communication around a stormwater infrastructure rehabilitation project in Salt Lake City. The document translates complex engineering and environmental information into clear, accessible language for residents, visitors, and media. It was used during a press conference to help the public understand the purpose and impact of the project.
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Construction has started on a critical project to rehabilitate Emigration Creek in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) is rehabilitating the Emigration Creek stormwater culvert, the 60” diameter pipe which conveys creek water beneath 1700 South. The culvert itself has fallen into disrepair and its poor conditions are contributing to significant erosion of the embankments of Emigration Creek. A flooding event which occurred during the spring 2023 runoff season exacerbated preexisting conditions and expedited the project timeline.
Residents and visitors in the area will see significant construction activity while this rehabilitation effort is underway (October 2024 through April 2025). SLCDPU wants to assure our community that while construction activities may appear disruptive, our ultimate goals are to ensure safe and efficient conveyance of Salt Lake City’s stormwater and to restore the natural beauty of Emigration Creek and its surroundings.
Project Facts
The culvert and stormwater infrastructure on Emigration Creek have fallen into disrepair. Conditions were poor prior to a flooding event which occurred in spring 2023 and exacerbated preexisting conditions. Photos below illustrate the culvert’s poor condition:

Poor conditions of the culvert and stormwater infrastructure are contributing to unnecessary erosion along the banks of Emigration Creek. Erosion can lead to stormwater contamination.
In Salt Lake City, stormwater is not treated. Stormwater is precipitation (snow/rain), melting snow pack, and irrigation water which does not infiltrate the ground and runs off. Stormwater is captured in Salt Lake City’s network of 379 miles of pipe which carry it to our local water bodies, ultimately ending at Great Salt Lake.
Protecting the quality of Salt Lake City’s stormwater is essential to ensuring the health of our local water bodies, including Great Salt Lake. The Emigration Creek stormwater rehabilitation project will:
· upgrade the structures which control the flow of Emigration Creek;
· realign the culvert to direct flows away from embankments;
· add an outlet erosion control structure to dissipate creek flow energy;
· revegetate, grade, and stabilize existing embankments to restore Emigration Creek’s surroundings to their natural beauty.
Construction began October 14, 2024 and is scheduled for completion in April 2025. Most construction will be completed in the fall/early winter. The project will pause over the winter and resume in the spring, when surface restoration and landscaping will be completed.
Residents and visitors will see significant construction activity, which may appear disruptive and/or damaging to the natural environment. SLCDPU wants to assure everyone that Emigration Creek will be restored to its natural beauty at the project’s conclusion and that this project will help us to maintain that beauty for years to come.
Project tasks include:
· Slip-lining existing 60” diameter culvert with durable-material pipe to extend longevity
· Extending the existing culvert approx. 50 ft. downstream and realigning it with the centerline of Emigration Creek to better direct flows away from embankments
· Adding an outlet erosion control structure to dissipate creek flow energy and mitigate the risk of further embankment erosion
· Revegetating and grading existing embankment landscaping
· Trenchless (CIPP) technology is being used to rehabilitate existing pipe to minimize impact to the natural environment.
Revegetation will include:
· Protect and preserve as many native trees as possible within project limits. The removal of a small number of trees is a necessary element to stabilizing existing embankments.
· Tree replanting is a significant consideration in this project. JUB Engineering, the landscape architect, determined the maximum number of trees to be established within the project area, which allows us to replace those few trees which need to be removed and capitalizes on increasing native trees to flourish in the area.
In designing this project, J-U-B’s landscape architecture team worked closely with Salt Lake City’s Department of Urban Forestry to preserve existing trees and create an extensive re-planting plan. As part of the environmental permitting process, J-U-B’s environmental team prepared cultural resources and architectural history reports, both of which were reviewed and approved by the State Historical Preservation Office. J-U-B’s environmental team also conducted a water resources inventory in accordance with the Clean Water Act and all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidelines. Additionally, J-U-B (per the Endangered Species Act [ESA] Section 7 regulations evaluated potential impacts to ESA-protected species) and found that no ESA species would be adversely affected by the proposed project. Lastly, given construction will occur outside the breeding and nesting season for migratory birds, no direct or indirect effects to migratory birds would occur.
The location of this project is on the south side of 1700 South, at approximately 1620 East, outside of Wasatch Hollow Preserve.