Project Details

The Swinging Bridge in Browns Park was first constucted in the 1920's.  A major upgrade occurred in 1954 when UDWR partnered on reconstucting the bridge.  Since that time, upgrades and maintenance have occurred, with additional work being completed in 2010.  The bridge has a current capacity of 3 tons.  In 2014, a local rancher drove a tractor onto the bridge, resulting in bridge failure in two sections.  Since that time, the bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic.

An insurance settlement was received by Moffat County, Colorado for the damages. During the inspection process, it was determined that the bridge should be upgraded.  The USFWS Browns Park Refuge actually owns the bridge, but Moffat County has a ROW.  These two agencies have taken the lead on securing grants and funding to upgrade the bridge from 3 ton weight limit to 14 tons. This will greatly improve the functionality of the bridge and reduce maintenance costs.  Part of the grant is to secure partner contributions.  The UDWR was approached as an partner of the 1954 construction project.  UDWR has been asked to provide up to $20,000 of the $100,000 needed for matching funds.

While the Swinging Bridge is actually in Colorado, it is only about 1 mile from the State Line.  The Swinging Bridige greatly improves access to both sides of the Green River.  The alternative "Jeep Trail" route is very slow and rough.  The Swinging Bridge greatly improves travel time and access by sportsmen to the Browns Park area.  The bridge also serves the Browns Park WMA headquarters and ponds.  The bridge greatly increases travel efficiency for UDWR staff to complete daily work activities.

Common sportsman access opportunities the bridge enhances includes: waterfowl hunting, upland game hunting (pheasants and cottontails), big game hunting (deer, elk, moose), and fishing along the Green River.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.