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Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative
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Newfoundland Mountains Water Development FY26
Region: Northern
ID: 7631
Project Status: Draft
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Project Details
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Need for Project
The bighorn sheep on the Newfoundland mountain range are beginning to use more of the range due to guzzler being installed in strategic location over the past 7 years. This particular bighorn sheep herd is one of the few herds in the state that is free of the most concerning pathogen causing respiratory disease in bighorn sheep. It may serve as a critical source herd to other population in the future. By adding additional water sources along the range the sheep will be able to spread out thus reducing the risk of disease and reduce the demand on the critical Big Pass Guzzlers.
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.
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Objectives
To install three additional guzzlers on the sites that have already been selected and received arc clearance.
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.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
Site were selected ~5 years to do arch clearance. We will continue to use the cleared sites as project locations until we have installed guzzlers at each of them. This particular bighorn sheep herd is one of the few herds in the state that is free of the most concerning pathogen causing respiratory disease in bighorn sheep. It may serve as a critical source herd to other population in the future.
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.
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Relation to Management Plans
Utah Bighorn Sheep Statewide Management Plan Habitat Goals - f. Improve or maintain existing water sources and develop new water sources as needed to improve distribution and abundance of bighorn sheep.
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.
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Fire/Fuels
N/A
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.
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Water Quality/Quantity
We will increase available water to wildlife on the mountain range.
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.
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Compliance
DWR archeologist has visited and cleared sites. BLM has completed necessary NEPA requirements. We will get airspace clearance from Hill Airforce base prior to work starting
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.
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Methods
Due to the remote and rugged terrain of the guzzler locations we will fly the DWR staff and volunteers into the sites and back out.
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.
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Monitoring
Game monitoring cameras will be placed at both guzzlers. As the number of guzzlers increase on the mountain range it would be beneficial to contract a monitoring flight each year for DWR staff and volunteers to check guzzlers for repairs
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.
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Partners
Utah Wild Sheep Foundation Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife BLM Hill Airforce Base
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.
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Future Management
Our goal is to maintain these water sources so that they will continue to be valuable to the bighorn sheep, chukars, and other wildlife in the area. To continue with the plan of installing a total of 10 guzzlers to spread out sheep use during the summer months. To create an additional water source that is near a road to facilitate bringing water to the sheep in emergency situations.
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.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
As long as these water sources are maintained, then they will continue to provide valuable water to all wildlife species in the area. We are effectively increasing the carrying capacity of the Newfoundland Mtns which will provide more opportunity for the public to view and hunt this population of bighorn sheep.
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.
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