Completion Form

2023

Habitat conditions improved at Ogden Bay WMA once again. Mother nature really helped out with a nice wet fall, winter and spring. Spring nesting conditions were the best they have been in the past 10 years and duck production was the best it has been in the past 20 years. There were only around 10 acres of food plots planted because the river was so high from runoff that it prevented us from reaching many of our uplands until July. There were 86 acres of nesting habitat perennial grasses and forbs planted in November. The rain and snow started early and often in November and prevented us from getting more planted. We also broadcast the seed and couldn't harrow it in. It is the second best germination that I have seen in 20 years, next to 2011 germination.  There were over 1,000 shrubs planted in May. We had also planned to plant those in the fall, but the early winter prevented it. Survival seems pretty good.  Noxious weeds were controlled all across the uplands. Target species were thistle, white top, cactus and poison hemlock.  Water levels were managed to the best of our ability despite very above average spring runoff.  The high spring runoff caused extreme erosion down south run of the Weber river and washed some of our main road out. There was an emergency purchase of 10k worth of rip rap to help prevent the entire road from washing out.  Two tractors were leased for 6 months each. Those tractors allowed us to do all of the habitat work. Equipment was repaired and maintained as well most notably was the mower and disks. Two six month technicians were funded with this money and they are a major reason that everything is accomplished.

Rich Hansen

08/31/2023 16:15:52