Summit County crews are ripping out invasive grass and filling old drainage ditches on 3.5 acres of the Ure Ranch near Kamas. The work marks the first active restoration on the 835-acre property the county bought for $25 million in December 2025.

The project targets a section called "The Swamp," where the Ure family dug ditches to drain the wet meadow for cattle grazing. Parts of the ground stayed so soggy that cows would sink in, according to the Park Record. County Lands and Natural Resources Director Jess Kirby said the family flagged the problem when the county took ownership.

"It's a wet meadow, so why would we want to keep it dry?" Kirby said.

Ecological studies found histosol in the soil, a type that holds 20% to 30% more organic matter than regular soil. It is common in wet or cold climates. Reed canary grass, a non-native species, has spread across the Kamas Meadows area and chokes out native plants. Crews are removing that grass, restoring natural water flow and reseeding with native wetland vegetation.

The 3.5 acres under active work sit near State Route 248 and 200 South. They are part of a larger 23.2-acre zone designated for restoration, TownLift reported. The Swamp itself covers about 20 acres of the ranch.

BIO-WEST, a Logan-based environmental consulting firm, and WestWater Research, an Idaho-based water-market economics firm, are partnering with the county on water delivery and annual monitoring. The county also hired water consultants to protect neighboring properties' water rights during the project.

Kirby described the restoration as a five-year effort. No construction is planned. The county expects to open the full Ure Ranch to the public by summer 2027, though the ecological work will continue beyond that date.

The Ure family had been in the Kamas Valley since 1892, running dairy and cattle operations before the county's acquisition. Summit County first agreed to buy the ranch in March 2023. The $25 million purchase drew partly from the county's 2021 voter-approved $50 million Open Space General Obligation Bond, which passed with more than 70% support. State Outdoor Recreation Initiative and Land and Water Conservation funds also contributed.

The ranch is divided into five parcels, each under its own conservation easement: Ure North Meadows, Ure Homestead, Ure Recreation, Ure South Meadow and The Swamp. The purchase agreement limits future construction to a single-family home, an educational center and recreational trails.

In a separate action July 31, the Summit County Council unanimously approved a deal that will bring a new trail to the Ure Ranch property, the Park Record reported. Wakara developer Jovid Mark II will pay for the trail as part of a road-access agreement near Gun Club Road.