Little Dell Reservoir, reservoir in the Wasatch Range, Salt Lake County, Utah, United States
Little Dell Reservoir is an impoundment on Dell Creek in Parley's Canyon, about 13 miles east of Salt Lake City. Its rolled earthfill dam stands 224 feet above the streambed and runs 1,700 feet in length. The reservoir stores water diverted from Parleys Creek and is bordered by Utah State Route 65, about a mile northeast of Interstate 80.
The reservoir was completed in 1993 to supply drinking water to the region and reduce flood risk in Parley's Canyon. It was part of a broader water management effort for the Salt Lake area that had been planned over several decades.
Little Dell Station, a Pony Express stop run by Utah pioneer Ephraim Hanks, stood about 1,000 feet northeast of the reservoir's northern tip and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Anglers today must release every Bonneville cutthroat trout they catch, part of a state program to protect the species.
The reservoir is easy to spot from the highway and reached through a signed entrance just off the road. Vehicles pay an entry fee while those arriving on foot enter free, and the area is open during daylight hours throughout the year.
Motorized boats are completely banned on the reservoir, so the only way to get on the water is by paddling or rowing. This rule makes Little Dell one of the few reservoirs in the area where fly fishing from a boat is possible without the noise or wake of an engine.
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