Project Details

Angler access along the LPR has historically been very open and prevalent. In recent years with landownership changes and some disputes over UDWR angler access easements anglers have had a harder time finding or feeling safe to fish along the LPR. One of the ways in which anglers are continuing to access and fish the LPR is by floating the river and fishing from rafts. The area that is becoming more heavily used is this area just below Deer Creek Dam where the steep bank is deteriating to the point that it is becoming unsafe for anglers and other recreationists to get their rafts to the water. In order to meet the angling demand and provide a safe way for anglers to launch their rafts a gradual slope and boat ramp is needed to make this happen. A new boat ramp and stairs and handrails were installed last year along with paving the entire parking area and a new road down into the area. This phase II is simply to place an informative kiosk in the area to direct, inform and help anglers better use and appreciate the improvements.

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 amount of use that is being seen on the LPR especially on weekends during the summer is in the thousands and thousands of individuals launching and taking out of the river. If something isn't done now the risk is very real for someone to be seriously injured trying to walk down the steep banks or even the loss of life should they fall into the river. 
This location is publicly owned by Bureau of Reclamation and managed by Deer Creek State Park and provides an area in which anglers and recreationists will be able to legally and safely enter the river.
Additional boat takeout areas were improved near Vivian Park Bridge and the Tunnels area along Hwy-189 last year to provide a safe area for people to exit the river safely without increased erosion on the steep banks.
Recent private land purchases has resulted in the loss of historical angler access and this continues to cause access issues along the LPR. This public access needs to be solidified and secured before any further purchases are made and restrict access more and potential in the area we are proposing to install boat ramps and take outs.
The amount of recreation on the LPR continues to increase exponentially and with the loss of access to portions of the LPR the need to do something to sustain or continue to provide angling opportunities can no longer be postponed.
Lastly Deer Creek State Park is planning an extensive boat ramp, parking lot, hand rail, steps, riprap and pavement of the access roads from Hwy-189 down to the river. This work was completed in 2025. We partnered with this State Park/BOR project planned and implemented in 2024-25 to meet the exponentially growing recreational needs on the LPR. We simply were unable to develop and install the information kiosk so we are resubmitting this proposal to finish this last portion of the project.

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.

This work and the species associated with this projects are supported by various plans and documents including the following:

Recreation Restoration Infrastructure Grant and Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant where funds are awarded to restore high-use and high priority areas of developed recreation infrastructure on public lands have been secured and utilized. Out partnership and contribution will assist these groups and management efforts to meet the demands being placed on the LPR.

2015.  Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025.  Project goals address major threats including "channel downcutting", "improper sediment balance", etc. and addresses threats to multiple WAP species, specifically aquatic species.

Utah County RMP:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cn80Wzst8eoa0o_BqoTBHOPfPm8M6MIe

Document cites need and County support for the following items that are applicable to this project: Fisheries (p35) Floodplains and River Terraces (p39) Recreation and Tourism (p72) Riparian Areas (p75) Threatened, Endangered, & Sensitive Species (p78) Water Quality and Hydrology (p81) Wetlands (p90).

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.