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- Multiple Salt Lake City trails remain closed as Rocky Mountain Power upgrades power poles.
- The project aims to mitigate wildfire risks and is expected to finish by December.
- Residents have expressed concerns have with construction communication and restoration concerns since the project began.
SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City public utilities officials are reminding residents to stay clear of several popular trails by City Creek Canyon and above the Avenues as Rocky Mountain Power crews continue to replace aging power poles in the area as part of a wildfire mitigation project.
Some of the closures began as early as October, but the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities added a closure of the Bonneville Shoreline-East City Creek last week, running from Bonneville Boulevard to the I Street Bike Park.
Several other trails and trailheads between East City Creek and Perrys Hollow remain closed or impacted. These include the Bonneville Shoreline-Valleyview, Terrace Hills (east and west), Avenues Ridge Cutoff, Kay Rees, and West Perry's Hollow Ridge.
A spokesperson for the department said Wednesday they wanted to issue a reminder of the closure but acknowledged that the department, which oversees the land, didn't really advertise the closures much in the first place.
Avenues residents attended last week's Salt Lake City Council meeting to voice their displeasure with the lack of information. Some said they didn't receive notice from Rocky Mountain Power until days after construction in their area had already been completed.
Rocky Mountain Power crews are working to replace old wooden power poles with new weathering steel poles. The new poles are about 6 feet taller, while new 138-kilovolt power lines are also installed for more long-distance transmission.
Officials wrote that the changes aim to mitigate wildfire threats caused by power lines. The company faced scrutiny from the Utah Legislature this summer over a rate increase plan, especially as lawmakers questioned if settlements PacifiCorp, its parent owner, made factored in the increase.
PacifiCorp agreed to pay over $700 million to hundreds of plaintiffs tied to 2020 Oregon wildfires in three settlements because the fires were traced back to power lines.
Rocky Mountain Power pinpointed the trail areas as a place where "higher likelihood of wildfires exists near population centers," which is why the old poles are being replaced. The company added that additional technology will be included to reduce the probability that a line starts a new fire.
The project is on track to be completed by the end of December. That's not to say all the trails in the area are closed. Public utilities officials say that several foothills trails remain open:
- Avenues Ridge Trail
- Bobsled Trail (downhill biking only)
- Bonneville Shoreline Trail: Twin Peaks and Dry Creek, Dry Creek to Emigration Canyon and Parley's Point
- Lakeview Trail
- Lime Kiln Trail
- Meadow Trail (with temporary detour)
- Perry's Hollow
- Tomahawk Trail
Restoration concerns
Rocky Mountain Power says it plans to wrap up by working on restoration and seeding in the area, so all impacted land can be restored.
Some residents came back to the Salt Lake City Council on Tuesday to thank city leaders for actions that were taken after last week's meeting, including the planned removal of an access road that was constructed for the project.
But residents also expressed their concerns about the restoration, fearing that the wintertime restoration work could be at least partially blown out by springtime runoff. They urged the city to keep an eye on the situation to make sure that the restoration work is successful.
"Much still needs to be done to ensure the reclamation work is performed correctly, completely and in a satisfactory manner," said resident David Waldman, asking for steps to be implemented to ensure that the foothills aren't scarred by project impacts.
