Tin’go-u-pi was the Goshute’s name for Millcreek Canyon, meaning “rock trap.” It was a reference to a gorge and precipice in the canyon where game was surrounded and forced to leap to their death. Ombit-o-pah was other Indigenous Peoples’ name for Mill Creek [01]. It was later renamed by colonial settlers for the 20 mills along the creek [02].
By the 1990s, much of the creek was degraded. A user fee to get into the canyon was instituted at its mouth to repair facilities and restore the riparian ecosystem. In 2016, efforts removed culverts and a small dam that inhibited passage of Utah’s only endemic trout, the Bonneville cutthroat.
Today, the creek flows through Fitts Park, South Salt Lake’s largest green space—named after its first town president, Robert Fitts. It features Mill Creek, two canals, playgrounds, and pavilions. Efforts are underway to enhance water quality, habitat, and recreation here.
