Otter Creek State Park

About Otter Creek State Park

The main activities of the park are year-round, but in the summer months it is most popular for camping, fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

In the fall of 1897, construction began on one of Utah's oldest dam projects, now called Otter Creek Reservoir. The local Mormons needed a source of irrigation water if they wanted to live, but many farmers had no experience in building irrigation canals and knew nothing about building a dam. At the time of the dam construction, there were only a few hundred acres of land in the area, and there was no water supply from the Salt Lake River or any other source.

After applying for water rights, members of the Otter Creek Reservoir Company were denied the financial support they needed to take over the project. As there were no funds available to build a dam, it was decided to start construction. Robert Dixon Young, who had experience in dam construction, was appointed project manager, and in the autumn of 1897 construction began with the help of self-made equipment.

Finally, financial support was granted and the rights and equipment for the completion of the project and the purchase of water rights for the Otter Creek reservoir were acquired.

When the 40-foot-high dam was finished, state engineers described it as a "dam" when it was completed. The original dam structure is still in good condition, although the state has made improvements recently. U-62 will take you to the intersection of the US89 and U.62, where it turns north and is