Silver Creek Watershed
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Welcome

The Silver Creek Watershed investigates environmental issues related to hazardous substances in the Silver Creek Watershed/Park City area.  This site is a resource for anyone who wants to learn more about the watershed.

What is the Silver Creek Watershed?
A watershed consists of two elements: a water body and the land from which water drains into that water body. The portion of the Silver Creek Watershed originally focused on the area between Upper Thaynes Canyon and Bald Mountain on the south, and Park Meadows and Keetley Junction (Richardson Flat) on the north. Since 2006, the Silver Creek Watershed also focused on the Lower Silver Creek area, bounded on the south by State Route 248 and on the north by Atkinson (aka the dairy). In terms of water quality, the creek and the land are inseparable; water draining off the land into the creek carries with it the effects of nature and human activities.

 

Our Goals

Protect human health and the environment

    1. With regard to hazardous substances such as heavy metals, bring Silver Creek into compliance with water quality standards set by the State of Utah and implemented through the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program. This will be done through:
    2. A hazardous substance investigation to determine the sources of contamination within the Silver Creek Watershed. This hazardous substance investigation will be coupled with any TMDL investigations of other substances to the degree possible.
    3. Preparation and implementation of a practical remediation plan(s), preferably in cooperation with the TMDL program, which may use a variety of measures to achieve significant improvements in water quality. The ultimate goal is attainment of water quality standards, though it is unknown at this point if this goal is completely achievable through available and reasonable measures. 
    4. Ensure that the amounts, or the accessibility, of hazardous substances in watershed soils and mine wastes do not pose unacceptable risks to human health. Establish soil/mine waste cleanup standards and methodologies which support planned and actual uses of the land as defined by the appropriate regulating agencies. This may include residential, commercial, recreational or others. Several categories exist which may require different approaches or solutions:
    5. Areas where development has already occurred and the Park City Landscaping Ordinance is applicable.
    6. Areas where development has already occurred and the Park City Landscaping Ordinance is not applicable.
    7. Areas where development has not occurred and the soils ordinance is not applicable.
    8. Ensure that impacts to ground water from hazardous substances are understood in sufficient detail to appropriately mitigate. 
    9. Identify existing, or potential, fish and wildlife habitat within the watershed. Ensure that the levels, or the accessibility, of hazardous substances in soils, mine wastes, and creek bed sediments do not pose unacceptable risks to fish and wildlife resources and associated habitats. 

Keep the public informed and provide opportunities for involvement and feedback.

Consider the public's concerns when making decisions.

Achieve regulatory closure and minimize the need for future Federal/State involvement, especially with regard to CERCLA (aka Superfund). Remove existing sites from the CERCLA database as appropriate and minimize the need for addition of other sites into the database, if appropriate. 

Find solutions which enjoy widespread acceptance.

Minimize the negative perception of environmental investigation and cleanup. 

Save time and money for everyone involved
 
 
 

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