Project Details

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.

The objectives of the project are to: 1) improve aquatic habitat in the river; 2) improve riparian habitats adjacent to the river; and 3) improve recreation access and community support for river stewardship. Specific actions related to these objectives are to improve the aquatic habitat in the river for juvenile Bluehead Sucker by creating backwaters and pools that will provide refugia during low water periods. Other specific actions include improving riparian habitat by increasing the cover and diversity of native riparian trees, shrubs, grasses, and forbs and reducing the amount of noxious and invasive species present. Other funding sources are being sought to improve the recreational features in the river such as angler access and the existing kayak park at 24th Street.

Secondary objectives are to improve aquatic and riparian habitats for the benefit of Bonneville Cutthroat trout and brown trout through removal of barriers and habitat enhanements. This will be accomplished by improving the overhanging riparian cover in some areas, which has the potential to provide better habitat for insects, an important food for trout. This will also potentially decrease the temperatures in the river by increasing shade. While it will be difficult to simultaneously improve habitats for trout and Blueheads, this will be accomplished by increasing the diversity of physical structure in the backwaters by careful placement of boulders, anchored woody debris, and thick native emergent vegetation.

The riparian enhancements also have the potential to improve the contiguous riparian habitats adjacent to the river, thus improving yellow-billed cuckoo habitats and hence, habitats for other neotropical migratory birds. While we do not expect to see yellow-billed cuckoos nesting in this area, it is possible that seasonal migratory use of the area will occur. Additionally, increasing the cover of cottonwoods and willows in this reach will benefit a variety of species that use riparian habitats in Utah.

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.

The project is focused on reducing the risk of ESA listing for the Bluehead Sucker, which is currently a species of special concern for Utah. The main threats to Bluehead Suckers in the Weber River include lack of good spawning habitat and juvenile rearing habitats. To abate these threats, the project will focus on creating and enhancing the aquatic and riparian habitats in and adjacent to the river with a specific focus on improving the juvenile rearing habitats.

The Utah Wildlife Action Plan has identified many threats to high interest game and fish species and the species of greatest conservation need. Our proposed project will reduce these threats by giving the river more room to function naturally and by increasing the buffering capacity of riparian areas and wetlands to filter runoff and connect floodplain areas.

Threats to sport fishes and other aquatic life will benefit due to improvements in overall stream health and reduction of fine sediments coming off of adjacent impervious areas. The threat of channelization will be reduced by purposeful removal of riprap and other existing features that impinge upon the channel.

Threats to riparian birds and waterfowl will also be reduced from proposed improvements in riparian areas within a 300 foot buffer adjacent to the river in this heavily urbanized area. Currently the riparian area has some decent stands of cottonwoods, but natural recruitment has been diminished and invasive species have taken over many areas. The plans to install and maintain native multi-story riparian canopies and diversify native plant communities will increase the number of native seeds and propagules available for sustaining native riparian ecosystems. This will reduce the threat of expansion of invasive and noxious plant species establishment in the future.

Invasive species of plants are also a threat to riparian and aquatic ecosystems in the Weber River. The proposed project will address these threats by implementing both short- and long-term vegetation management actions to reduce the cover of noxious and invasive species and improve the cover and diversity of riparian and floodplain ecosystems.

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.

The Weber River is listed on the Utah 303(d) list for impairment of the cold water fishery and has been identified as a degraded reach. The Weber River Watershed Plan (USU 2014) identified Habitat Restoration as a key strategy to improve the river function and the City of Ogden is developing a specific watershed plan to detail opportunities for habitat improvement and community engagement along this reach.

Lowland Riparian areas including Aquatic-Forested, Aquatic-Scrub/Shrub, Emergent, and Riverine Habitat types were identified as a Key Habitats in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan (2016). Many species rely on these habitat types for all or parts of their life cycles. The proposed project will improve all of these habitat types and will also increase the effectiveness of the vegetative buffer by removal of material and enhancement of riparian areas and floodplains adjacent to the river.

Restoring the Weber River, which is in a moderately densely populated area will help the UDWR achieve Resource Objective 2 (Increase fish and game populations to meet management plan objectives, and expand quality fishing and hunting opportunities) and Constituency Objective 1 (Increase public awareness of wildlife as a quality-of-life issue in order to expand our support base and achieve stable funding).  A map and narrative of priority reaches on the Weber River is included in the attached documents. In addition, restoring the Weber River will meet city master plan objectives.

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.

There have been several efforts in recent years to characterize the habitats and water quality in this reach of the Weber River. These include riparian vegetation surveys, water quality sampling, and fish surveys. An assessment of riparian areas was conducted in 2015 (see Riparian Inventory in documents). The Utah Division of Water Quality conducted a targeted sampling for water quality at site #4920220 in 2015 and this will be repeated on a 6 year cycle. The Weber Basin Water Conservancy District conducts regular sampling of chemical water quality parameters at the kayak park and will continue to sample in the future. A Bluehead Sucker recruitment bottleneck study was conducted by Utah State University in 2014-2016 and the final report is expected in 2017. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conducts population monitoring for Bluehead Sucker in the Weber River on a three year rotating basis with the next survey planned for 2018. Our team is in discussion with the Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems about conducting a multi-year study on the macroinvertebrate populations in this reach as well. Additionally, we are working with Utah Water Watch at USU to develop a citizen science monitoring program and working to include students and professors from Weber State University.

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.