Weber River Watershed Restoration Phase 1
Region: Northern
ID: 5566

Project Status: Completed

Project Details

Despite its relatively modest size, the Weber River supports extensive recreational and ecological values and has become the third-most popular river fishery in the State of Utah, behind the legendary Green and Provo Rivers.  The Weber River serves as a recreational destination for thousands of people, including anglers, boaters, birdwatchers, and people interested in connecting with the outdoors within their communities through a network of urban river trails and bike paths.  Many tributaries, and even the heavily impaired lower river, sustain diverse and unique native species, including a fluvial population of large native Bonneville cutthroat trout and an imperiled population of bluehead sucker.  Although the Weber River and its resources are socially and economically important, the numbers of fish and the condition of the stream corridor have dramatically declined over the past 20 years due to widespread habitat fragmentation and degradation.

In addition to being a popular recreational resource, the Weber River also provides critical drinking and irrigation water for approximately 21% of Utah's population. As such, the Weber River is a critical local and regional resource, but it currently faces daunting challenges and fulfills only a small portion of its full potential.  Urbanization and the development of transportation infrastructure from the 1960s through the 1980s straightened the river in many places. Those actions combined with poor land management created severe erosion problems and large-scale bank instability, which led to the placement of extensive rip-rap composed of rock, waste concrete and old car bodies. The effects of this habitat degradation are exacerbated by the presence of over 200 irrigation diversions throughout the basin that disrupt fish migrations and kill fish. To this day, urban runoff dumps directly into the river in many urban areas, while rural areas contribute irrigation return flows containing excess nutrients, fine sediments and pesticides.  Cumulatively, these impacts have left water quality and stream habitats severely degraded, and, in some areas, made the river more of an eyesore and a liability than a community asset.

Partners in the Weber River have been making improvements to the watershed for years. This includes efforts in the Ogden River, Lower Weber River, Morgan Area, and Chalk Creek. This proposal represents a collaborative effort among many partners within the Weber River to improve the river for fisheries, wildlife and people.

Lower Weber River Restoration Project
The Weber River Restoration project is needed to improve the stream health in approximately two miles of the Weber River, which has been degraded due to extensive previous channel alterations and habitat simplification. This reach of the Weber River is currently listed on the Utah 303(d) list of impaired waters for not meeting the biological standard for cold water fish and their aquatic food chain. Additionally, this reach is one of the most urbanized rivers along the Wasatch Front. The Riverdale Bench Canal project was identified as a complete barrier to BCT and Bluehead Sucker migrations in the 2013 Basinwide Barrier Assessment. Over the past 10-15 years, the water company has reworked old waste concrete and added new waste concrete to build up the diversion structure.  Most-recently the water company did this in 2018 in an unpermitted action. This has exacerbated the fish passage problem, as well as caused flooding concerns to the surrounding landowners and infrastructure. This project is in close proximity to roadways, and homes and will require extensive engineering in order to complete.
The Lower Weber River from the mouth of Weber Canyon to the confluence with the Ogden River is being studied to determine how improvements will benefit aquatic life. State fish biologists have hypothesized that there is a recruitment bottleneck in this location for juvenile Bluehead Sucker and studies are currently being conducted to identify key habitats in the area. The specific need that this funding request will address is 1) the fish passage at the 24th Street Kayak Park, which was identified as a fish passage barrier due to vertical plunging water with high water velocities. 2) Engineering of the Wilson Canal Diversion just upstream of the 24th street Kayak Park. 3) Sustainable pedestrian pathway protection near Riverdale, 4) replacement of the Riverdale Bench Diversion, and 5) Collection of detailed survey data along the Parson's reach of the Weber River to identify areas to reconnect floodplain habitat, 6) continued implementation of floodplain restoration on the Blackner's Bend project.

Ogden River Project 
In the Ogden River, a major restoration effort was completed in 2009-2012. However additional restoration needs exist. These include reconstructing two irrigation diversions to ensure that they are passable to fish: the Marriott Ditch diversion and the Dinsdale Canal. The Marriott Ditch diversion project was partially implemented during SFY2021 with replacement of the instream structure with EWP and Habitat Council Funding. Some revegetation and bank stabilization will be needed on the Marriott Ditch project. The Dinsdale canal diversion is in poor shape and needs to be reconstructed completely. It is a partial barrier to fish movement and is a serious safety hazard from vertical "I" beams being located near the water surface.

Chalk Creek Project 
In 2015, landowners, agencies, and partnering organizations worked together to develop a watershed plan on the South Fork of Chalk Creek. This plan prioritized several actions to make improvements for Bonneville cutthroat trout, mule deer and livestock. These actions include improving rangeland conditions and riparian habitats.

Many tributary streams in northern Utah have experienced channelization and incision resulting in lack of floodplain connectivity, impacting wildlife and fish habitat and water quality. Low-tech, process-based restoration (e.g., beaver dam analogues) improves stream conditions. In 2019, stream restoration in the Chalk Creek watershed was completed with numerous partners, including the landowner. This project is a continuation of the Phase I work and increases the scale and scope of the project.

In the Chalk Creek area, winter habitat for mule deer and stream habitat for Bonneville cutthroat trout is critical. Juniper densities are increasing and the understory is gradually degrading.

Through extensive collaborative efforts guided by the South Fork Chalk Creek CRMP, we have worked with several of the agricultural producers in the South Fork of Chalk Creek to improve livestock management practices in the watershed. The improvements have included off-channel livestock water development, pasture fences, and BDAs. They are all complementary to the past fish passage efforts completed in the past and continuing into the next 3-4 years.

The new BDAs in the South Fork, and smaller tributaries such as Branch Creek, will facilitate in reductions of sedimentation, erosion, and de-stabilization of streambanks.   The juxtaposition of livestock management and a highly erosive geology makes this tributary system a high priority for improved management as highlighted in the Rockport-Echo TMDL Implementation Plan from the Department of Water Quality.  Further downstream from the proposed South Fork BDA sites, about 300 feet away, riparian work was completed in 2018, addressing similar erosion and corresponding sedimentation issues.  The 2018 bank stabilization project is yielding positive results, with formerly eroding areas shrinking as grasses and forbs have returned.   In one area, where a large root wad was sunk into the stream, a small pool has formed, thus enhancing the structural habitat of the stream. This next phase will only strengthen the legacy of work in the watershed and increase resilience.

Deep Creek - near Morgan
Capture of runoff higher in the drainage tributaries should help late season flows in areas that experience late season dewatering.  Deep Creek is an important tributary of the Weber and as such, despite being seasonally disconnected, should contribute flows later into the water year. Re-introduction of beaver should store early runoff water that would be lost to the system  higher in dam complexes allowing for water to be naturally released over the course of the summer instead of just receiving a pulse of runoff water in the spring.

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 and connectivity in the river; 2) improve wildlife and riparian habitats; and 3) improve recreation access and community support for river stewardship, 4) improve livestock grazing conditions.

Specific actions related to these objectives are to improve the longitudinal connectivity and aquatic habitat in the river for juvenile Bluehead Sucker by creating backwaters and pools that will provide refugia during low water periods and reducing the hydraulic drop at the Ogden Kayak Park. 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 aquatic and riparian conditions throughout the watershed.

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 enhancements. 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 probable 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.

On the South Fork our objectives are to continue to diminish erosion of streambanks and sedimentation deposition into the lower South Fork, improve riparian health with process-based restoration methods, and improve rangeland health and fire resilience in adjacent pastures by raising the water table through BDAs.

In Deep Creek we will hold nuisance beavers from areas where they are unwanted and subsequently release them in Deep Creek where they will establish an ecologically stable colony.

On the Blackner's Bend, the objective is to improve the floodplain connectivity and seasonal wetland hydrology of areas adjacent to the river by reconnecting a perched side channel. As a follow on to Phase 1, this phase will improve riverside habitats and increase the amount of riparian vegetation in the floodplain on Blackner's Bend.

The Hawthorn Bend bank stabilization project objective is to stabilize an eroding bank along the Weber River that has undermined the Weber River Parkway Trail between Riverdale and Uintah. This trail is used extensively by anglers, wildlife watchers and recreationalists.

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 Utah Wildlife Action Plan has identified many threats, including points of ecological thresholds, to high interest game and fish species and the species of greatest conservation need. The proposed projects will reduce these threats by improving tributary watershed integrity, improving natural river function, and reconnecting lateral and longitudinal connectivity of aquatic habitat.

Habitat fragmentation by irrigation diversions and degradation by urban encroachment are two primary threats to fish living in the lower Weber River and consequently a threat to angling opportunities.  Habitat fragmentation limits the habitat available to fish in the Weber River by restricting their upstream movements. These movements can be in response to poor water quality, low flow conditions or life history requirements such as spawning migrations.  Short stream reaches with limited available habitat to trout and whitefish in the Weber River can destabilize populations or preclude population rebounding in the case of cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker.

From a recreational water use perspective, these irrigation diversions all represent a major safety hazard and there are major structures in this reach that prevent people from floating down the Weber River from the mouth of Weber Canyon to Riverdale.

Habitat degradation has reduced the quality of habitat for fish in this reach of the Weber River.  Degraded channel conditions have also restricted access opportunities for the public to enjoy the river. The project is focused on reducing the risk of an Endangered Species Act 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 and lack of longitudinal connectivity along the corridor. If these threats are not mitigated, the habitat for Bluehead Suckers will reach an ecological threshold that will be difficult for populations to recover from. 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 and making it easier for Blueheads to move up and down the river.
 
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. Without action, noxious weeds will dominate native species and cross an ecological threshold that native habitats will not be able to recover from effectively.

South Fork: This project aims to reduce several sedimentation issues on the landscape. Riparian Health: Improve water quality, fish habitat, and slow down the flow, thus facilitating water remaining in the system for a longer period of time and also enabling more riparian vegetation to flourish.  Riparian vegetation that is not grazed consistently by cattle may grow deeper roots and it also provides critical shade to keep the creek cooler for aquatic species during the hottest summer months.

The summer and fall of 2020 experienced extreme drought conditions.   During times of such drought, the creeks are susceptible to low flows, and increased temperatures.  The BDAs are a way to mitigate such stressors.  The landowner expressed much interest in stream restoration and plans to seek 2021 state non-point source funding for this location with NRCS project input and facilitated by the Weber Watershed Coordinator.  Such an application will seek to fence off the riparian area, with the possibility to allow cattle to "flash graze" when conditions permit and to reduce fuel loads in summer months.

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.

UDWR Beaver Management Plan.
The Utah State and Western Weber County Resource Management Plans have identified the preservation and enhancement of rivers and floodplains as important objectives to consider when planning projects. Additionally, wetlands and riparian areas have been identified as key resources to provide both environmental and economic benefits to Utah communities. Recreation has also been called out as essential to Utah's ecological and economic vitality into the future. This project addresses these RMP objectives and also will help to bring the community together around this rare resource, the river.

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 developed a specific watershed plan to detail opportunities for habitat improvement and community engagement along this reach, and this plan is included as a document in the WRI database.

Lowland Riparian areas including Aquatic-Forested, Aquatic-Scrub/Shrub, Emergent, and Riverine Habitat types were identified as 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.

This proposal is within the WRI Region Focus Area. 1) The 2014 Weber River Restoration Plan indicated that the impacts from land development and management were major challenges to habitat and water quality in the South Fork of Chalk Creek. 2) Chalk Creek and its tributaries are currently listed as impaired waters by the Utah Division of Water Quality for elevated levels of phosphorus, fine sediment, E. coli (2020) and physical habitat degradation. In addition to the listed impairments, sections of Chalk Creek reach elevated temperatures during the summer, sometimes exceeding the known lethal limit for Bonneville cutthroat trout. Nevertheless, the strong cutthroat trout population is sustained through a partially connected network of habitat with thermal refugia throughout the watershed. The South Fork of Chalk Creek has the potential to be a significant coldwater refuge for Bonneville cutthroat trout, however past and current land management patterns result in significant heating along the longitudinal gradient of the creek and its tributaries during the summer.  3) This project supports the Bonneville Cutthroat trout (BCT) conservation agreement, which identifies the BCT population in Chalk Creek as a high priority watershed.  Wildlife habitat and water quality were listed as top concerns in the stakeholder driven 2015 CRMP management plan.

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.

The South Fork of Chalk Creek is at significant risk to catastrophic fire due to the expanding juniper forest along the lower portion of the watershed. Research demonstrates that healthy streams and riparian corridors are more resilient to wildfire, as they serve as fire-breaks and rebound more quickly after fires (Fairfax and Whittle 2020). They also decrease potential for major erosion and save money for wildfire restoration efforts. The proposed lop and scatter project on the lower South Fork coupled with riparian restoration will improve the resiliency of the watershed to fire.

Catastrophic fire is also a significant issue on the lower Weber River. The Blackner's Bend property was burned in the 2016 Uintah Fire. The limited riparian area along this reach of the river was effectively denuded by the fire. Through reconnections of side-channel and floodplain habitats along this reach of the Weber River a robust and healthy riparian area will be more capable of preventing the spread of wildfire should another one occur.

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.

One of the primary objectives of the proposed project is to increase the habitat quality in the Weber River and to address degradation of water quality. The source of water quality degradation has not been quantified, but the most likely causes are channelization, lack of floodplain connectivity, and lack of quality riparian vegetation buffers. Our project will address these hydromodifications. Additionally, storm water runoff has been found to be an issue in many urban areas across the state and nation. We will address stormwater by enhancement of the treatment of urban runoff by installation of bioswales and other "Green Infrastructure." 
Healthy streams improve water quantity by storing water in the watershed and slowly releasing water longer into the season.

Higher in the watershed, low-tech, process-based stream restoration activities will reduce fine sediment supply and improve water quantity in the watershed by retaining higher soil moisture levels and elevating the local water table proximal to our projects.

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.

For stream and riparian restoration on Deep Creek, South Fork of Chalk Creek, and Echo Creek we will use Low-tech, Process-based Restoration (Wheaton et al. 2019) methods which include beaver dam analogues and post-assisted log structures.

Beavers will be re-introduced into the Deep Creek drainage at the request of the landowner.  The plan is for one colony of beavers (2-6 individuals) to be released late summer of 2021.

Many of proposed projects consist of various habitat features to restore aquatic and geomorphic functions of the Weber River. Riparian and wetland enhancement is also proposed to buffer urban nonpoint source pollution, reduce in-channel water temperatures, and provide food sources for aquatic organisms. Stormwater return areas and best management practices are proposed to minimize water quality impacts from urban runoff.

Project features include: delineating the riparian corridor, modifying the channel geometry, installing in-stream habitat features for improved geomorphic and habitat functions, creating interior floodplains, enhancing the riparian vegetation, removing invasive plant species, bio-stabilizing the banks, installing stormwater finishing areas, removing extensive concrete and litter and installing appropriately concentrated recreational access.

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 the Weber River. These include riparian vegetation surveys, water quality sampling, and fish surveys. An assessment of riparian areas was conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2019. 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. 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. UDWR biologists survey the Lower Weber River for Bluehead and other sucker spawning areas and improved Bluehead juvenile backwaters on an annual or biannual basis.

Low-tech, Process-based Restoration sites will be monitored before and after with the Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment, which assigns scores for stream function. Extensive stream temperature monitoring has been conducted since 2017, and we propose to continue extensive monitoring of detailed stream temperature data.

The river restoration sites will be monitored for water quality parameters, riparian cover, macroinvertebrates, and fish in partnership with the Utah Water Watch, RiverRestoration, UDWQ, and other Weber River Partnership entities.

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.

Weber Partnership - numerous members - stakeholder engagement and education. 
Trout Unlimited - Project Management, Stakeholder Facilitation, and Technical Expertise
The City of Ogden - sub-project lead role completing the design and implementation of the project. 
RiverRestoration - River Engineering, Leading Monitoring Efforts, Project Management. 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - technical advice
Utah State University - Utah Water Watch Program - monitoring.  
Weber State University - classroom groups learning in the field. 
Trails Foundation of Northern Utah - local trail group working on access and trail connectivity, also local landowner. 
Tree Utah - assistance in planting seedlings for revegetation.
Weber Waterways - local boaters group - site stewardship. 
Utah Division of Natural Resources - technical advice. 
Utah Division of Water Quality - funding and technical advice. 
National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program - stakeholder development. 
Weber Basin Water Conservancy District - water quality monitoring. 
Wild Utah Project. Permitting, volunteer recruiting and management, monitoring. 
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers - volunteers for BDAs

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.

The Weber Partnership will continue to work to improve the river and riparian areas along the Weber River and will maintain improvements in the future. Focused restoration and establishment monitoring of the aquatic and riparian habitat improvements will be conducted for 3-5 years post-construction. Then the partners will continue to manage invasive species and river ecosystems as part of their regular maintenance. Follow up treatments for noxious and invasive species will be part of a long-term adaptive management strategy used in the river corridor.

South Fork:
This is the third year in a row that we are proposing to use process-based restoration techniques in the Weber River. We expect water quality benefits: 1.) reduced fine sedimentation 2.) enhanced stability of streambanks 3.) improved stream temperatures (colder). But in order achieve greater benefits we will need to maintain a long term commitment and we will likely need to continue building upon existing BDAs and other projects.

Blackner's Bend: The Trails Foundation of Northern Utah manages the natural open space at the Blackner's Bend and keeps trails in good condition throughout Weber County and will continue to follow up on restoration actions. TFNU also has seasonal field workers that plant riparian and wetland plants and control weeds in the natural open space and along the trails.

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.