Project Details

The June sucker (Chasmistes liorus) was federally listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1986.  The June Sucker Recovery Plan (USFWS 1999) identified threats posed by nonnative and sport fish, water development, and habitat alteration as factors that resulted in the need to list the species.  These factors contributed to a lack of recruitment for June sucker and the entire population consisted of relatively few, old individuals.  At the time of listing, it was believed that the wild population consisted of fewer than 1,000 individuals.  Subsequent estimates on the Provo River spawning population confirmed that the population was at very low levels (311<N<515; Keleher 1998).  In an effort to resolve conflicts between water development and recovery of the June sucker, the JSRIP was formalized in 2002 with the dual goals of recovering June sucker so that it no longer requires protection under the Endangered Species Act, and allowing continued water use and development for the growing human population along the Wasatch Front.  Because the JSRIP has federal partners and federal funds are contributed annually to the program, an Environmental Assessment was completed for federal participation in the program.  The JSRIP provides the Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance necessary to allow the ongoing operation and development of the Central Utah Project. The JSRIP has had great success due to help from it's partners and members. On February 3rd 2021, the June sucker was downlisted from endangered to threatened.

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 JSRIP has identified 5 areas to improve to minimize or eliminate the threats/risks to the June sucker and its recovery.
1. Nonnative and Sportfish Management - common carp is one of the most well known invasive species that threatens the recovery of the June sucker and as such, since 2012 the JSRIP has worked to reduce the overall biomass of cap by 75-80%.  Northern pike were also introduced into the lake and the JSRIP is currently working on a telemetry project and future control methods to eliminate/reduce the risks to June sucker recovery. 
2. Habitat Development and Maintenance - Lack of spawning and nursery habitat for June sucker has been a major hurdle and on Hobble Creek, JSRIP has restored part of that delta as the Hobble Creek WMA.  Currently JSRIP and URMCC is working to restore the Provo River Delta, a 200+ acre delta that will fill in the gap and lack of nursery habitat on the Provo River and provide an area where larval June sucker can survive until they need to move into the lake.
3. Water Management and Protection - Spawning runs and water to maintain nursery habitat were a major hurdle at the beginning of the Program but through cooperation with partners, water has been secured and delivered to maintain spawning habitat and spawning runs for the June sucker
4. Genetic Research and Augmentation - with low numbers of surviving fish (less than 300 in 1997), a hatchery was established and genetic work was done and is currently being conducted to maintain the genetic diversity of the population as well as augmenting the current wild population with up to 25,000 fish from the hatchery.
5. Research, Monitoring and Data Management - June sucker is dependent on Utah Lake and its ecosystem. JSRIP has been conducting research in various aspects of the ecosystem and monitoring responses to the ecosystem from projects that it has conducted over the years.

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.

JSRIP recovery elements group recovery actions identified in the June Sucker Recovery Plan by the threats that they are intended to address.  Recovery elements include: 1) Nonnative and Sportfish Management, 2) Habitat Development and Maintenance, 3) Water Management and Protection, 4) Genetic Integrity and Augmentation, 5) Research, Monitoring and Data Management, and 6) Information and Education.  The purpose of recovery elements is to ensure a diversified and balanced approach to recovery whereby funding and effort can be applied at the appropriate level for each recovery element.  In FY21, general activities that will be conducted through the JSRIP include: continuing efforts to maintain a reduced carp population in Utah Lake; planning for and implementing habitat enhancement projects on the Provo River and Hobble Creek to benefit June sucker recovery (including the Provo River Delta Restoration Project); providing supplemental water to augment flows in the Provo River and Hobble Creek; maintaining captive populations and augmenting the wild population in Utah Lake; conducting monitoring and research to track the effectiveness of recovery efforts,  and conducting proactive public outreach and media relations to support June sucker recovery actions.

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.

The JSRIP administers contributions from the JSRIP partners.  The projects listed in this application have been approved by the JSRIP Administration Committee and will be administered by the Program Director's Office at DNR and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD).  The JSRIP is a collaborative program among state, federal and local entities including DNR and its divisions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission (URMCC), the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD), the Provo River Water Users Association (PRWUA), the Provo Reservoir Water Users Company (represented by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District), the Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) and an outdoor and environmental interests representative.  On an annual basis each partner contributes funding and/or in-kind services commensurate with their respective role in the recovery effort.

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.

An ecosystem-level approach towards recovery results in the implementation of actions that will benefit a broad array of species.  The JSRIP Director's Office actively promotes coordination with the other management plans on Utah Lake and in the surrounding area.  The Utah Lake Commission has worked with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to draft a master plan for the lake and its surrounding area. Objectives of that plan include the reduction of the lake's carp population and recovery of the June sucker.

The June Sucker Recovery Plan (USFWS 1999) is the guiding document for activities implemented under the JSRIP.  Annual status reports are required for all projects approved for funding under the JSRIP.  The Technical and Administration Committees meet on a regular basis to remain current on potential new threats and the status of JSIRP projects.  These meetings are part of an adaptive management process that leads to timely adjustments to recovery strategies and ensures effective coordination of recovery activities.

The USFWS, under their ESA authority, determines if sufficient progress toward recovery is being made to allow for the JSRIP to serve as ESA compliance for federal water projects.  The USFWS provided a memo to the JSRIP in May of 2015 indicating that sufficient progress towards recovery of the June sucker has been occurring.

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.