Project Details

Northeast region has a dire need for one 8.5-month seasonal crew lead/project implementation position to assist biologists in sampling high quality, high profile fisheries within the region. This technician will work to sample Blue Ribbon waters that NER biologists have identified as high priority needs. This person will also be responsible for assisting with large-scale CRCT projects to help bring DWR efforts to fruition. Data collected will be utilized in future fisheries management recommendations, such as stocking requirements, regulations/restrictions, and in outreach media and events as a proponent of these waters. This position may also be utilized to facilitate improvements of Blue Ribbon waters, such as habitat enhancements, trophy fish spawning and management, take part in publicizing Blue Ribbon sponsored waters, or mitigate access issues (e.g., fence crossings illegally placed no-trespassing signs).

Specifics- Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Green River tailrace assistance needs include Kokanee monitoring, Burbot netting, Lake Trout netting, Hydroaccoustic sampling, Smallmouth Bass electrofishing/monitoring. Pelican Lake needs include assisting with Pelican lake fish diet studies, habitat structure planning, facilities/maintenance planning and implementation, and rotenone restoration project. Additionally this tech will take a lead role in sedimentation control at Pelican Lake. Starvation Reservoir needs include assisting with Fall Walleye Index Nettings, perch/forage surveys, angler contacts, walleye tagging/population estimate efforts, and walleye spawn prep and detail in April. This person will also be utilized in spawning efforts for CRCT in Lake Canyon and Sheep Creek Lake. This person will be used to assist with fish health and disease monitoring at several areas identified by Division biologists, including the Duchesne River drainage. Additional High Uinta Mountain Lakes surveys have been identified as a high priority by Division Staff and Blue Ribbon Council members. This person will be responsible for independent and/or team work to survey High Uinta Mountain Lakes and streams for not less than 1.5 months. Survey work will include gathering fishery data, as well as hydrology and bathymetry data; some work will be in prep for future CRCT restoration planning. This person may also help out with the walleye spawn on Willard Bay, which heavily relies on personnel time to accomplish said task.

Currently, other regions (Central, Southern) have staff funded by and devoted to sampling Blue Ribbon waters. Northeast Region received funding for this proposal in FY17 and 19. In years we did not receive funding for this proposal it has cost us major consequences for future fisheries management in Northeast Region in terms of gathering accurate data, executing work plans, and taking part in active fisheries management. Without this support, our current sportfish staff is strapped with other projects to be able to accomplish above surveys and fisheries management actions. Many of the identified activities above are externally-desired intensive efforts in some of Utah's most popular Blue Ribbon areas/waters. While a Blue Ribbon biologist would be able to accomplish more in a given year, we recognize funding limitations, and feel this is a good compromise to help alleviate work load.

In addition to much needed assistance with Flaming Gorge netting surveys and sampling, this position assisted elsewhere in the region by monitoring and trapping problem beaver in Sheep Creek Lake that threatened the integrity of our canal; conducted dozens of bathymetry studies in lakes of the High Uintas; conducted fishery netting surveys on dozens of lakes in the High Uintas; compiled historic data on several High Uintas lakes for information updating and future brochure publication; assisted with cutthroat trout spawning activities, successfully installed whirling disease & prevention angler awareness signs on the Strawberry River, Currant Creek, and West Fork Duchesne River, which is now present in all three drainages; conducted several small stream surveys to determine CRCT abundance and distribution extent within the High Uintas; completed walks within the Strawberry and Duchesne Rivers to identify problematic areas for angler access (i.e., illegal no trespass signs, impassible barbed wire crossings, stile needs, signing angler access parking lots).

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.

May assist Partners in accomplishing goals as applicable to BRFAC objectives of providing quality fishery resources, and data that our Partners can use in their program directives. Partners who will benefit from increased exposure of the Blue Ribbon program include:
Bureau of Land Management (Pelican Lake, West Willow Creek), US Forest Service (Ashley National Forest & Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest) (Green River tailrace, Flaming Gorge reservoir, Sheep Creek drainage, High Uinta Mountain lakes, Duchesne River drainage, Currant Creek, Currant Creek Reservoir), Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation (Red Fleet Reservoir, Steinaker Reservoir, Starvation Reservoir).

Additionally, the person in this position will have the opportunity to work extensively with the Trout Unlimited biologist residing in the Uinta basin. The Trout Unlimited biologist duties cross lines between DWR and our non-profit partners and provide new open door opportunities when it comes to fisheries management, which participation and assistance from this position will be crucial to meeting both programs' objectives.

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.