Mayor Burton Joins Regional “Love Your Watershed” Initiative

West Jordan Mayor Dirk Burton has officially joined dozens of leaders across the Jordan River Watershed in the year-long Love Your Watershed Mayor's Challenge, a regional effort designed to protect and improve the health of our local waterways. The initiative, led by the Jordan River Commission and Watershed Council, brings cities, counties, state agencies, businesses, and community organizations together to reduce pollution and strengthen stewardship throughout the region.

As communities across the watershed continue to grow, stormwater runoff has increasingly carried litter, chemicals, pet waste, leaves, and other pollutants directly into the Jordan River, Utah Lake, and nearby tributaries. These materials wash off streets, parking lots, and sidewalks during rain and snow events, entering waterways with little or no filtration. The result is poorer water quality, algal blooms, lower dissolved oxygen, and harmful impacts to people, pets, wildlife, and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

The Love Your Watershed Challenge focuses on simple, practical actions anyone can take to make a difference:

First Friday Cleanups
Each month, residents and businesses are encouraged to step outside their home or workplace and spend just a few minutes clearing debris from gutters, sidewalks, park strips, and storm drains.

Community Days of Service
Four major Days of Service-September 11, January 18, April 22, and July 4-will anchor larger neighborhood-based cleanups involving families, schools, civic groups, faith communities, sports teams, and local businesses. These events highlight the connection between service, environmental stewardship, and community pride.

By joining the challenge, Mayor Burton is signaling West Jordan's commitment to protecting the long-term health of the Jordan River watershed.

West Jordan residents, businesses, schools, neighborhood groups, and community organizations are encouraged to participate. Small individual actions, when carried out across the entire watershed, create powerful collective impact!