Local governments are hoping residents will speak out about the future of the Jordan River.

A dozen residents from north Utah County gathered in Saratoga Springs on Thursday evening to give their opinions about how the river corridor would ideally be preserved and used. The meeting was the last held along the river over the past two weeks. More than 200 people in total have attended.

"This is a once-in-a-generation kind of event, a chance to plan the corridor and dream big," said Christie Oostema of Envision Utah, which hosted the event.

Residents who did not get to one of the public meetings can still fill out a survey on their vision of the river's future at www.blueprint.slco.org.

Using remote controls, residents on Thursday were asked to vote for various options. The results showed that residents preferred a deep buffer between the river and development, want the government to purchase or require land for a buffer from developers, and want to provide a buffer along streams running into the river.

Residents also said their top priority was preserving habitat along the river, providing trails and river access, and investing more in open space.

If open space is preserved, residents may have to change their thinking about sharing space with animals, organizers said.

"As urban residents we would have to get used to living next door to fox or deer," Oostema said.

A year-long effort to create a vision for the entire Jordan River corridor is being funded with $100,000 from Salt Lake County and an equal amount from 15 cities along the river, she said. Taking feedback from the public meetings, planners will formulate a vision for the future of the area and will eventually ask local cities to adopt ordinances to preserve, plan and develop the river corridor.

Open houses to get public comment on proposals for the area will be held at the end of August, organizers said.

After the remote-response survey, residents on Thursday sat in circles around huge maps of the river corridor and wrote suggestions that included everything from river water taxis for tours and shopping areas, to skate parks, to trails and trailheads, to dog parks, to preserving open space.

Lisa Hardman of Lehi said perhaps the Utah County section of the river, which is less developed, should be preserved more as open space, with commercial areas along the river saved for Salt Lake County.

Hardman and Cali O'Connell of Orem said that if habitat is preserved, it should be away from roads so that animals will be less likely to be hit by cars.

Hardman, who said she owns land along the river, also said she would like dog parks with access to the river to be part of future plans.

A birdwatcher, Becky Tietze, who lives in unincorporated Salt Lake County, said that with proper planning, the river could become "a jewel in the desert."

Providing access for hikers, birdwatchers, sport fishers, skaters, horse riders and anyone else who would like to use the river is important in building public support for the river, she said.

"If you have something nice, people will come out, and the more they enjoy it, the more they will support it," she said. "I think more people would use it if they thought they had input into it."