Completion Form

2021

During the winter of 2020, the bypass canal at Salt Creek WMA was repaired in order to fix damages that were allowing for water to enter the project site the previous summer. In the summer of 2020, the site was dry and work dredging the channel began in September. Agricultural scrappers, tracked skidstears, and small track hoes were used to dredge the channels. Material from the dredging was used to repair and reshape 18 islands that had eroded away over the years. Two main channels were dredged at a depth of 2' and width of 12' with a 3:1 slope from the bottom of the channel to the top of the existing pond floor. A total of 11,900' of channel was dredged. 
Islands varied in size and were built with a 4:1 slope to insure shallow water around the island which should allow for emergent vegetation to establish. A 2' wide dirt berm was constructed at the leading edge (closest to channel) to help with erosion control and facilitate better plant establishment. Wetland plant plugs, bare root stock, and wetland sod mats, were planted along the edges of most islands. Plant material consisted of three-square bulrush, alkali bulrush, hardstem bulrush, and salt grass.

In order to start this project, Salt Creek WMA needed to be drained in order to dry the site out for heavy equipment. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen damages (rat holes) in the bypass canal, we were unable to dry the area out during the summer of 2019. During the winter of 2020, the waterfowl and habitat maintenance crew worked diligently to fix the bypass canal and plug any holes. Managers were able to dry the site out in 2020 and construction started in September. 
Two agricultural scrappers were used to dredge the channels and place material on the islands. Skidstears and small excavators were used to shape the islands and dirt berms around the leading edge of the islands. Construction crews completed the project and managers started to re-flood the project area the first week of October. 
In the spring of 2021, a number of different species of wetland plant material was planted around the edges of most islands to help facilitate plant growth and decrease the chance of these islands eroding away.

Chad Cranney

07/29/2021 12:08:16