Project Details

With the recent drought and reservoir management at Flaming Gorge Reservoir, lake levels will likely fluctuate more widely than in previous years, causing accessibility issues for the public. Lake levels dropped 10 feet in 2022 forcing Cedar Springs Marina operators to move the marina out of the protected cove where it had resided for decades. In 2023, reservoir elevation climbed 26 feet, once again changing the functional configuration of the marina.  These fluctuations make it necessary to relocate the public boat courtesy dock and marina gangway entry point by reconstructing earthen trail using heavy equipment. Building a shoreline trail is extremely difficult due to the terrain, grade, and the fluctuating reservoir levels. In wet years, the water level could rise and cover the trail, or in a drought scenario, end up being far away from the water surface.  Either scenario is unpredictable and requires annual reconnection/reconfiguration.  New shoreline trail development also requires permitting through the US Forest Service and Bureau of Reclamation, which can take a year or two to complete.  Permitting is a time constraint when the reservoir fluctuates during the approval period.

The proposed fishing pier project will be attached to 500 feet of 100-inch wide dock extending from the boat ramp (A) to the marina (B).  Two ADA accessible gangways will provide public access at the boat ramp and at the marina.  Both ends of the new trail system will be used for public courtesy boat docking, one for boat ramp launching/receiving and the other side for marina courtesy use.  The middle section, which this proposal encompasses, will measure 166 feet and be used as a fishing pier and wildlife viewing area.  This component of the facility will include guardrails, fishing rod holders and seating for the public.  The entire floating facility can be reconfigured and adjusted to adapt to changing reservoir elevations.  The Cedar Springs boat ramp also has the lowest usable elevation of any ramp on the reservoir, extending past the minimum water elevation required to generate hydroelectric power at Flaming Gorge Dam.  This floating system will be usable at all elevations from full pool to minimum power pool.

Shoreline fishing access is also limited in this region of the reservoir.  In the 2023 creel survey, only 22% of the shoreline fishing pressure occurred in the Canyon Region, which is the vast majority of Utah's portion of the reservoir.  Shoreline fishing in the Canyon is impaired by limited access points, rough/steep terrain like talus slopes or cliffs, and mostly restricted to the areas around the boat launches.  Handicap/disabled accessible fishing is extremely limited and this angler type typically uses the launch ramps and/or courtesy boat docks for a suitable platform.  Boater-shore angler overlap in these areas is also unsafe and a source of conflict.  A floating fishing pier at Cedar Springs will offer shore anglers an easy option with parking, access and amenities nearby.

Based on success, this project will also serve as a prototype for other reservoirs around the state, specifically those with drastically fluctuating elevations.  Docks that are easily adjusted and reconfigured with water levels, will save managers personnel time and expense in the long-term.

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.

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.