SALT LAKE CITY-Last week, the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation announced the recipients of the 2020 Outdoor Recreation Grant.

This will distribute nearly $6 million to 59 recreational projects throughout the state.

This figure marks the grant’s biggest allocation yet in its sixth cycle. It is the first year the office funded projects up to $500,000, including for a river restoration project in Helper and the Dry Creek Lake Recreation Area of Lehi.

Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation director Pitt Grewe said the Helper project will assist in bringing access to the river, cleaning up any railroad and mining debris and creating paths for recreation around it.

In Lehi, Grewe said the project consists of taking an old catch pond area and making a reservoir in the residential Lehi-Highland Area.

Grewe said the reservoir will be in “a beautiful spot.” Meanwhile, rural areas will also benefit as 64 percent of grant funds are to go to rural counties, per a news release.

A complete list of 2020 grantees can be found at business.utah.gov/outdoor/uorg.

Between the grants, matching funds and private investments, the office estimates the assisted projects will have a total value of nearly $44.5 million.

These grants are funded by a small percentage of state transient room taxes, Grewe said, knowing that this is a part of the industry negatively affected by COVID-19.

Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant program manager Tara McKee said COVID-19 has made these opportunities even more tailor-made for Utahns.