Tooele to plant roughly 1,600 native pollinator plants at a city demonstration site

Nathan Farr, Tooele’s public works director, described a state grant opportunity to create a native, pollinator-friendly demonstration garden on underused city land near a water storage tank. Farr said the city applied for and received 50 kits from the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, which translates to roughly 1,600 individual plants.

"I applied for it on a whim, and they gave me 50, which is about 1,600 plants," Farr said, outlining a plan that includes tearing down an existing chain-link fence, installing drip irrigation, and creating walk paths using mulch or rock. Farr said the city will coordinate a pickup from Ogden on Saturday, Sept. 12 and hopes to celebrate project completion with a ribbon cutting in October.

Farr stressed that the species are native and drought-tolerant, and he cited statewide program statistics for context: program awardees in 2025 reportedly planted 87,000 plants covering 37 acres and saved an estimated 29,204,000 gallons of water that year. The project will rely on volunteers — including scouts and city employees — and the city plans to post the opportunity on volunteer coordination sites.

Councilmembers expressed support and asked logistical questions about irrigation, public access and site protection for tank hatches. Farr said the plan includes fencing around access hatches and a drip system to focus water only where plants need it. The council did not take formal action on the item but supported staff moving the project forward and seeking volunteer help.