The Murdock Canal is arguably the best flat place to run off road in all of Utah County. The nice dirt trail next to the flowing water makes for a relaxing place to run that is a cooler, easier place to run than on the roads of the city.
The powers that be want to put the canal in a pipe and cover it and from our understanding, pave it. Let your voice be heard! Please attend the public Open House and Scoping Meeting this Thursday, April 10th from 4-7pm at Pleasant Grove High School (810 North 100 East, PG). This meeting is Open House style so you may come and go anytime and children are welcome, light refreshments will be served.
It is proven that running on soft surfaces/uneven ground provide multiple benefits to runners and drastically decrease injuries. Read the article on benefits of off road running here .
Here are the issues we would like to raise and have people keep in mind:
1) Will piping and covering the canal will be an unnecessary use of our tax dollars?
2) Will It will make it less scenic and paving the whole thing will add danger and destroy peace by encouraging boarders, roller bladers, etc.?
3) Running next to open water is about 10 degrees cooler and more enjoyable in the summer
4) Will piping the canal will change the habitat for summer water foul?
5) Soft Surface is the best for anyone to walk or run on. (Injury prevention, arthritis, joint recovery, less pounding, etc. One can run more miles off road with better recovery and far less injury.)
We would like to see runners everywhere support this meeting (bring your friends and neighbors) and also encourage the opinion that we prefer the canal to be left soft surface, and if possible, not piped. Remember we were originally told the Provo River “trail” would be left unpaved, but they paved the whole thing…let’s not let that happen again.
It may be wise for us to include a proposal that if paving is absolutely necessary, that half of the trail be left unpaved for runners, walkers, etc.
To gain more knowledge on the benefits of natural surface running and why the government should listen, read this article.