Jordanelle Basin Overview
Located between the expansive Jordanelle Reservoir and the picturesque mountains of Deer Valley Resort, the Jordanelle Basin is the northern gateway to Wasatch County. It links Summit and Wasatch counties, provides access to Salt Lake City through Park City, and offers unmatched recreation, including skiing, water sports, and a connected trail system for hikers and bikers.
For decades, Wasatch County has viewed the Jordanelle Basin as an opportunity to create a year-round resort community that benefits both visitors and residents, while preserving the area's natural beauty and supporting economic growth.
The Jordanelle Basin includes three distinct communities, each with its own location and features. These communities are linked by unincorporated parts of Wasatch County.
Jordanelle Planning Area History
The Jordanelle Reservoir was built in 1993 as part of the federal Central Utah Water Project (CUP) and in 2002 Wasatch County adopted the Resort Specially Planned Area (RSPA) code to encourage resort development on the west side of the reservoir. The county gathered feedback from landowners and residents to help guide future growth.
In 2018, the Jordanelle Specially Planned Area (JSPA) replaced the RSPA and Jordanelle Basin Overlay Zone (JBOZ) as the primary land use authority, establishing a 4,700-acre resort zone with space for hotels, golf courses, lake access, retail, and restaurants. A five-person JSPA Planning Committee reviews all projects in this area.
Plans to bring a Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) hotel to Wasatch County began when a small MWR ski resort near Snowbasin in Huntsville, Utah, closed in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City; however, no replacement funds were provided.
In 2001, Congress granted the Air Force a 26-acre parcel in Park City (Red Maple) to either build a new MWR facility on that property or trade it for another property of equal value, and required a public or private partner for its development.
During this time, Wasatch County was already working on a resort-focused master plan and proposed the 4,700-acre JSPA area as an option for MWR development.
In 2012, MIDA, private developer EX Utah, and Wasatch County entered into a partnership to develop the MWR on 14.5 acres in the Jordanelle Basin, donated by EX Utah.
MIDA became the land use authority and adopted similar building codes and standards to those of Wasatch County. Both MIDA and Wasatch County have representatives on the Development Review Committee. The Wasatch County Council also holds a seat on MIDA’s governing board.
In 2017, Extell Development bought much of the land around the planned MWR hotel to support additional resort development.
Deer Valley East is further divided into six zones, each with its own character and timeline for development.
Work on the new 387-room MWR hotel, the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, began in 2021, with 100 rooms set aside for active duty and retired military personnel and Department of Defense staff. The hotel opened to its first military guests in November 2024. The MRF area also provides many recreational options for visitors at special military rates.
