Project Details

Cottonwood Creek is one of eight small direct tributaries that flow into the Weber River near Mountain Green, Utah.  Although small, these tributary streams play an important role in supporting critical spawning and rearing habitats for the fluvial Bonneville cutthroat trout that occur within this reach of the Weber River.  These cutthroat trout are not only highly sought after by anglers, but also represent an ecologically important conservation population with a unique migratory life history.  Unfortunately most of the spawning habitat required by the migratory cutthroat trout occurs in these small tributaries and much of the habitat remains inaccessible; blocked by road crossings, and irrigation diversions, although TU, UDWR and partners are working collaboratively to improve fish passage on all of these tributaries.

Using a PIT tag antenna array, the UDWR has identified Cottonwood Creek as an important spawning tributary for BCT in this reach of the Weber River, based on the number of fish detected traveling over PIT tag antennas.

This particular diversion has been in place for decades.  Its location is on Cottonwood Creek, approximately six miles upstream with its confluence with the Weber River.  The diversion is operated by Mountain Green Secondary Water Company.  Although the diversion dam is likely not a complete barrier for fish migrating upstream, it represents a serious challenge for downstream-migrating fish.  When the post-spawned fish and their progeny return to the river they are not able to get past this diversion on the descending limb of the hydrograph and many are killed on a grate incorporated in their intake structure.

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.

BCT Conservation Agreement and Strategy

Identified habitat fragmentation as a primary threat to BCT persistence. 
Reconnecting habitat for populations with unique life histories is a primary objective in the Northern and Bear River GMU's.

Weber River Watershed Plan
Assessing and identifying fish passage barriers is a key strategy within the 2014 watershed plan, specifically as the assessments lead towards prioritized habitat reconnection projects in key areas.  This passage project meets those criteria and supports reconnection actions in the plan.

This project directly fulfills and follows those strategies and objectives in the Rangewide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Boneville Cutthroat Trout, State of Utah Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Boneville Cutthroat Trout and the Weber River restoration plan of 2014 with strategies listed below.  All attached in the documents sections is a designation of 5 priority areas on the Weber River where we want to restore or enhance habitat in these areas. This project falls within Section 4 of the Weber River which has been identified as a Blue Ribbon reach and focuses on work to improve fish passage of BCT and Bluehead Sucker.

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.