Project Details

When Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area was constructed in the late 1930's the State of Utah was Granted a Right of way.  The right of way was to construct the State Canal which is used to deliver water from the lower Jordan River to Farmington Bay WMA.  As Part of this right of way agreement the State agreed to several things, including installing and maintaining the necessary water control structures. The water control structure that is currently being used to divert water between Farmington Bay and Newstate duck club was likely constructed some time shortly after 1939.  Time has taken a toll on the structure, it is dangerous and ineffective.

Specifically, to manage stoplogs on the structure an individual has to jump from pillar to pillar, which is very dangerous.  Water has eroded the banks away on both sides of the structure, making the structure ineffective.  Last fiscal year we asked for monies to hire and engineer in order to design a new structure and provide a cost estimate for replacement of the state canal structure.  An engineer is currently working and this project design.

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 1st objective of this project is hire a construction company who can follow the engineered plans to replace the structure on the state canal.

The second objective of this project is to incorporate stream gauge monitoring into this project.

Farmington Bay WMA mangers believe the best way to achieve this objective is to work with the USGS, who are already experts in stream gauge monitoring.  In talking with the USGS they have suggested that DWR install the data collection and transmission equipment down channel from the new Water Control Structure a minimum of 5 channel depths to avoid eddies and flow disruptions from the structure (assuming the channel is about 5 feet deep we need to be a minimum of 25 feet down channel).

The USGS has also recommended that DWR install 2 identical concrete walls (both sides of the channel) that provide a vertical flat face that is a minimum of 3 feet wide that extends from the bottom of the channel to about 24" above the top of the bank.  The north bank concrete wall will support a horizontal beam acoustic transponder that will be mounted to the face of the wall on an I beam that will allow for vertical adjustment and/or movement depending on the water depth.   The USGS requested that on the opposite side of the channel (south bank) that the concrete wall (identical to the north bank structure) be installed to provide a fixed connection for a steel cable that provides a fixed path for the calibration equipment to travel back and forth along the same route every time that the gauge is calibrated (every 4 to 6 weeks).  Using the same path will increase the accuracy of the data collected.

The State of Utah can purchase, install, operate and maintain our own equipment or we
can enter into an agreement with the USGS to provide a turn-key service that will provide all the equipment, installation, operation and future maintenance. Of course there will be a yearly fee for the USGS to provide this service (currently quoted around $17,000).

Farmington Bay Managers suggest and recommend that a dialogue is opened between the State of Utah (DNR) and USGS related to option 2 as this option in my professional opinion would be the most economical and provide the best service going into the future.

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.

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.