Craig Ellsworth noticed the trees along the Jordan River were struggling, so he started carrying a five-gallon bucket of water to one on his way home. That small, repeated act of care is now credited as the spark behind a 15-year transformation of Riverton’s stretch of the river, from a place locals were warned to avoid into one filled with bikers, kayakers and kids playing near the water.
Not long ago, the corridor looked nothing like it does today. As reported by KUTV, the area was littered with trash, liquor bottles and other debris, and Riverton Mayor Tish Buroker has said people were once warned not to even go down to the trail by the river. Ellsworth’s bucket runs eventually connected him with Buroker, and the two developed the idea that they could take on improvement work along the waterway together, according to the same report.
From One Tree to a Community Movement
What began as one man watering one tree grew into something bigger. Volunteers started planting more trees, and the group gradually swelled to include an increasing number of neighbors willing to pitch in, per KUTV’s reporting. Over time, the corridor became a place more people wanted to use rather than avoid.
Eric McCulley, an environmental consultant who chairs the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission and has advised the Jordan River Commission’s Technical Advisory Committee for years, said people began appreciating the river as a valuable community asset, the station reported. McCulley’s perspective carries weight given his long-time stewardship of the river, according to the Utah Division of Water Resources.
A Mayor Who Worked the Riverbank Before She Ran the City
Buroker’s involvement in the cleanup predates her time in city hall. She worked to improve the Jordan River corridor before becoming mayor and has said the area needed to be enhanced, the station’s report noted. Buroker was sworn in as Riverton’s mayor on January 6, 2026, after serving on the Riverton City Council since 2017 and previously retiring as Vice President of Operations for LabCorp, according to Riverton City. She also served on the Jordan River Commission’s governing board before her election, the city notes…