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Porter Fork (Mill Creek) culverts
Region: Central
ID: 4577
Project Status: Completed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
The project replaces two culverts, that are undersized and fish migration barriers, in Porter Fork, a tributary to Mill Creek. Replacement of the structures will eliminate the last barriers from the mouth of the canyon upstream to Elbow Fork connecting a mile of stream in Porter Fork and six miles of stream in Mill Creek.
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.
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Objectives
Allow for the free movement of BCT and other aquatic organisms within the Mill Creek drainage and reduce water quality impacts to Salt Lake County. These overarching goals will be further accomplished through the replacement of 2 undersized, outdated and failing culvert systems in Porter Fork. These two culverts are the last of 9 stream/road crossings within the drainage to be replaced. Other work in the larger project includes non-native fish removal, re-introduction of a native suite of fishes, stream bank protections, weir removal, dam removal, bridge replacement and in-stream habitat improvements.
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.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
No Action will continue to degrade water quality, deny fish movement into head-water reaches and eventually (likely soon) culverts will fail.
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.
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Relation to Management Plans
This project improves fish passage as outlined in the 2003 Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan Wasatch Cache Forest Plan - Wasatch Cache National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full It also provide greater longterm persistence for Bonneville cutthroat trout by increasing the accessible stream miles in this populations. This is consistence with the Bonneville Conservation Agreement and Strategy. RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Oncorhynchus clarki utah). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 00-19, Salt Lake City, UT. 2015 Salt Lake County Integrated Watershed Plan Update to the 2009 Salt Lake Countywide Water Quality Stewardship Plan. Published September 2016. Guiding water quality document for Salt Lake County tributaries. Discusses the need to reduce pollutants entering the Jordan River.
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.
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Fire/Fuels
Culvert replacements have typically increase the road surface width allowing better access to the upper canyon and improved safety. Both these culverts are on roads that provide the only access in to the WUI.
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.
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Water Quality/Quantity
The project will improve water quality as the channel width at the crossing will be enlarged reducing the tendency to down cut the stream channel and mobilize sediment.
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.
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Compliance
All compliance's are in hand.
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.
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Methods
Lower culvert is a double 24" round pipe, upper culvert is a single squashed pipe, both will be replaced with a single open bottom arch culvert.
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.
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Monitoring
Project will be monitored post implantation for functionality and over time for continued stability. Any repairs will be accomplished by USFS.
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.
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Partners
Partners in the watershed restoration work in the drainage include: Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, PacifiCorp, Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts of America, Wasatch Legacy Partnership, Utah Council Trout Unlimited, Stonefly Society, Utah Anglers Coalition, Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Conservation Team, National Forest Foundation, Welding Department at Weber Basin Job Core, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation, and the Utah Habitat Council. -all partners have invested time and money in planning and implementing the Watershed Restoration Project of which this individual project is a near final phase.
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.
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Future Management
New culverts will be monitored post treatment by dedicated FS personnel and repairs will be performed as needed. Expected life is 50 years. The Watershed Restoration Project includes a significant environment education component. This includes educational material on the Mill Creek Dam that was removed, the development of a spawning channel at Tracy Lake and other education material for the public.
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.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
Grazing is not allowed in Mill Creek canyon, this drainage is a grass bank.
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.
Title Page
Project Details
Finance
Species
Habitats
Seed
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Completion Form
Project Summary Report