Jose Davila IV: How and why we brought you the ‘Trail of neglect’ series that dives deep on the Jordan River

Editor’s note • The “Trail of neglect” series is a three-part exploration of the challenges and triumphs of the Jordan River Trail, produced in partnership with City Cast Salt Lake. Each part has an accompanying podcast. Read Part 1 here and listen to the first episode here. Read Part 2 here and listen to the second episode here. Read Part 3 here and listen to the third episode here.

I moved from Reno, Nevada, to Salt Lake City to join The Salt Lake Tribune last winter. As I was preparing to make the switch, I spent a lot of time looking at Google Maps trying to figure out what my new home looked like and what it would be like to report on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley.

One thing that immediately stood out to me was that the Jordan River, its trail and the parks on its banks flowed right through many of the neighborhoods I’d be covering.

In Nevada, I spent so much of my time along the Truckee River rafting, biking and hanging out at riverside bars and restaurants. Familiar with the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail that runs along the Truckee to its outlet at Pyramid Lake, I hoped the Jordan River Trail would offer a similarly fun biking and walking experience. I also hoped the river would be a hub of activity and a cool place to hang out.

I quickly learned that isn’t the case in many places along its banks and wanted to know how that happened. Why isn’t the Jordan River a magnet for recreation and activity like the waterways of other American cities? That’s how our three-part “Trail of neglect” series looking into the river corridor, its persistent issues and its future came to be.

All three parts of the series are out now with accompanying podcast episodes that we created with our friends at City Cast Salt Lake. We’ve learned a lot along the way in this monthslong effort to figure out why and how the Jordan River has struggled to shed its reputation as a repository for waste.

That effort took me on walks and bike rides on parts of the trail stretching from Riverside Park in Salt Lake City’s Rose Park neighborhood — where I tiptoed past two people still sleeping wrapped up in blankets on the ground — all the way south to a deli that’s seeing more bikers roll up to its front door in South Jordan.

I talked with over 20 people for this series, ranging from homelessness experts to river advocates to regular folks that just want to be able to use the trail however and with whomever they want. I even went out with a microphone to get sounds of birds and rushing water in Murray.

On those visits to places along the water, I could see firsthand how the river supports vibrant natural refuges, how the trail helps Utahns get around the valley, and how the corridor benefits those who are able to recreate along it. But I also saw — and tried to relay to readers — overflowing trash cans, illegal riverside campsites and drug activity blocking parts of the path.

As we cobbled together what we heard from talking to people about the river, we also started to plan how we would share what we learned with Utahns. Tribune photographers spent 10 hours scouring the river corridor for the best images. The project also will include a video from audience manager Trevor Christensen that required two additional stops on the trail with Jordan River Commission Executive Director Soren Simonsen. And I racked up more than a few thousand steps.

We embarked on a first-in-Utah collaboration with City Cast Salt Lake to make sure these stories about the trail reached more than just our regular readers. The podcast episodes required this reporter to dust off his old radio skills but asked even more of the City Cast team as they produced three separate episodes and incorporated some of the audio I had gathered.

The goal was to publish a multimedia series that dove deeply into Utah’s long-neglected backyard gem and the brighter future that could be ahead of it.

I hope by reading — or listening to — the project, you gained a deeper understanding of what makes Utah, its places and its people tick. That’s the work we strive to do.