Red Butte Canyon, a Research Natural Area, is located directly east of Salt Lake City and the University of Utah campus. Consisting of 7.25 square miles of watershed, it is the smallest of seven canyons in eastern Salt Lake County. As we move into the twenty-first century, there will be increasing pressure to understand the dynamics of ecological systems and man's impact on ecological processes. Maintained as a protected watershed, the Red Butte Canyon RNA provides a unique opportunity for addressing these important issues to human society and to the preservation of our environment. Unprotected, it is an invaluable resource lost forever.
