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Council hears resident concerns about state myrtle‑spurge spraying near private wells in Emigration Canyon
Summary
Council members raised coordination and water‑quality concerns after residents reported door‑to‑door permission requests from a state program to spray herbicides for myrtle‑spurge; staff said maps were changed to reduce spraying on the main canyon road and agreed to coordinate with Salt Lake City Public Utilities.
A councilmember alerted colleagues to a state‑led program (Division of Natural Resources/Division of Wildlife Services) to treat myrtle spurge along sections of Emigration Canyon Road. The council discussion focused on resident notification, private wells and water quality.
The presenter said the program’s outreach initially showed spraying along large sections of the canyon and that many properties have private wells. The council noted that private wells typically trigger a 100‑foot buffer (zone 2) that would prohibit spraying near a wellhead and that some herbicides mentioned in outreach materials (including glyphosate/Roundup, Telar and Milestone) raised water‑quality concerns. One councilmember said the mapped area was later modified to remove the main canyon road but that sections on Little Mountain remain.
Council members recommended better coordination and outreach by the state and suggested notifying Salt Lake City Public Utilities because the utility owns large sections of watershed land in the area and would have jurisdictional interest. Staff reported they had already contacted a county weed specialist and worked to remove the main road from the spray map; the council asked staff to maintain direct lines of coordination so the city is included early if the program returns.
Janet Haskell, a resident, confirmed local conversations and said she had negotiated non‑chemical removal by digging for a sensitive spring near her property in the past. The council did not adopt a formal action at the meeting but flagged the issue for follow‑up with water‑quality authorities and the state program.
