Project Details

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Division) is leading a project to create a metapopulation of Colorado River Cutthroat trout (CRCT) on the North Slope Uinta Mountains. Phase I of this project has already been completed in the way of the Middle Fork Sheep Creek treatment and restoration (2012-2014). Phase II of this project is nearly complete (2019-2020) with limited treatment to occur in August 2021, and includes the East Fork Carter Creek (of interest in this WRI project). Additional phases of the project further downstream include treating the North Fork Sheep Creek, South Fork Sheep Creek, West Fork Carter Creek, and the remaining catchment from the Sheep Creek Irrigation Canal, which captures water from the upper Carter Creek drainage and delivers water via interbasin transfer to Sheep Creek. Future planned phases of the restoration include West Fork Carter/Beaver/Weyman (2021-2022), South Fork Sheep Creek (2023-2024), and North Fork/mainstem Sheep Creek (2025-2026). The Canal system both serves as a blessing and a curse in that it complicates the treatment, but eliminates other fish barrier problems and creates a larger-than-otherwise-possible metapopulation scenario. In order for the remainder of the upper Sheep Creek drainage to be secure to pursue future CRCT restoration, several fish barriers have to be pursued to isolate headwater reaches of the Sheep Creek Irrigation Canal that tie it into the Carter Creek drainage on a seasonal (high water) basis. By isolating and treating this area, this project will create a metapopulation of approximately 100 miles of linear, connected stream in addition to over a dozen high mountain lakes with natural reproduction potential. 
A similar project was funded and successfully completed in 2018 (WRI project #4462) to isolate the treatment area from potential reinvasion threats existing on lower West Fork Carter Creek. At the time, we identified these areas as the only threats to reinvasion. During the 2020 treatment of East Fork Carter Creek, additional staff field-truthed the fish barrier preventing fish migration from lower East Fork Carter Creek from the treatment area. Numerous staff (myself included) discussed that we would feel more comfortable with this area being a barrier if we put an additional vertical drop structure at the top end of the high gradient confinement zone. The group judged the area below the point feature identified in the map of this project to typically be a fish barrier during most discharge events, but were concerned that during 10-20 year events, such as the 2011 runoff, there may still be connectivity for fish to migrate upstream. This project is intended to address this potential threat by eliminating any potential of fish passage up into the treatment zone. It is also important to note that this area of East Fork Carter Creek exists at the very top of the 100 mile treatment zone. If a fish invasion were to occur in this area, it would have the potential to endanger the entire treatment zone, hence why we are proceeding with the most conservative route in the form of building a fish barrier to fortify against our concerns. This fish barrier will mostly be constructed of rock materials found on site. Additional materials such as logs may be used. We will purchase and lay foundation fabric (thick, durable geotextile canal liner) behind the rock barrier to further fortify it from any leaking potential.

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.

The Utah Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) identifies the CRCT as an encumbered species. Ensuring continued broodstock operations and maintaining our ability to rear these fish in the hatchery system is integral to future recovery and protection of the species.

Project reduces/eliminates risk of non-native fish emigration to native Colorado River Cutthroat trout restoration area
Project involves constructing fish barriers in order that future rotenone projects be undertaken to expand range of Colorado River Cutthroat trout. CRCT will be stocked after treatments are completed. A North Slope Uinta brood has been developed for this project
Circumstances and habitats that would allow for metapopulations (interconnected habitat of >50 miles) of Colorado River Cutthroat trout are extremely difficult to achieve due to 1. lack of available water or habitat 2. resistance of public/anglers 3. possibility of eliminating non-native fish pressures and threats. This project has the makings of having enough interconnected water, remote enough to not offend anglers, and particularly addresses fish barriers, thereby cutting off non-native fish introduction possibilities. The point of creating a metapopulation is to allow future species (in this case CRCT) persistence where the population as a whole is less likely to go extinct due to selective pressures, and thus allow immigration/emigration from other parts of the metapopulation, while allowing future genetic exchange and reducing the risk of inbreeding due to the extent of range and possibilities of population growth across this landscape.

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.

One permanent fish barrier will be constructed mostly of locally reclaimed rock. Abundant rock exists around the project site. Abundant timber exists around the project site if needed for additional supporting structure. We will plan to rent a 306/307 class mini excavator and walk it up to the project site. Most of the distance to the location is accessible via the Sheep Creek Irrigation Canal dyke, however, we will have to access approximately 1/4 mile through forest. Luckily, almost the entirety of this 1/4 mile distance can be covered on an existing hiking trail where we may have to eliminate a few small trees to get through, but we can make additional improvements to the trail and reclaim any damage on the way out. Overall the hiking trail is overly wide through most of the affected corridor. The excavator will be used to key in rock material and build up a vertical fish barrier of a height of approximately 6 feet. Below and immediately adjacent to the barrier we will construct a splash pad primarily of local rock, but will utilize cement to help strengthen the structure as well as pass water. Geotextile fabric will be placed behind and sandwiched into the fish barrier with additional rock in order to prevent erosion issues around the barrier or allow water to get through that fish may utilize to pass through the barrier. We expect the construction to take approximately 1 week, with several additional days allotted for transporting/walking the machine to and from the project site. Natural rock already exists on each side of the bank, allowing for a relatively easy project for keying the structure into the banks. This barrier is meant to be complimentary to additional high gradient features immediately downstream of the construction location.

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.

Project will be monitored annually during the duration of CRCT restoration project to ensure barriers are functioning and no problems are developing structurally. Restoration project will continue for the next 6 years. Any issues with barriers will be addressed immediately due to importance of function. Following restoration projects, barriers will be monitored semi-annually, pending no change to status of barriers during restoration activities. 
Barriers that we constructed in 2018 have been monitored several times in the past two years, and have been "rock solid" with no problems detected so far. We expect a similar result for this barrier. This barrier will be built with an excavator rather than by hand because (1) it is moderately accessible compared to other barrier locations we did in 2018 (2) East Fork Carter Creek is a larger stream during high discharge events than the others we constructed barriers on in the adjoining areas; (3) most of the rocks in the project area are very large and would be difficult to utilize by hand

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.