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Bullock Draw Reservoir Eurasian Watermilfoil Control Project
Region: Northeastern
ID: 7651
Project Status: Proposed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Bullock Draw reservoir is a smaller 98-acre fishery managed by the NER DWR aquatics section. Water rights were purchased from Ouray Park Irrigation Company to help make this a sustainable fishery and prevent complete irrigation drawdowns. At some point, Eurasian watermilfoil (EWMF) entered the system and took over the reservoir. Fishing from shore is very difficult, and launching a boat is nearly impossible during peak fishing seasons. EWMF has made the reservoir an unstable fishery and habitat for waterfowl. We need to remove EWMF at its source to prevent further contamination in the drainage.
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
1) Acquire funding to purchase herbicide and administer a lake-wide treatment for EWMF at Bullock Draw Res, the canal that connects it to Cottonwood Res, and the inlet of Cottonwood Res in July/August of 2025. 2)Monitor the success of the treatment and do spot treatments if necessary.
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?)
EWMF in Bullock Draw presents multiple problems, one for the ability of anglers to use the fishery, and the second is it provided an overabundance of nonnative habitat that supports many unwanted rough fish in the system (white suckers, carp), and hinders waterfowl from using the reservoir as habitat by getting tangled in the invasive plant. Bullock Draw Reservoir is a major water source for Pelican Lake. Pelican Lake has been overtaken by EWMF. In order to do a herbicide treatment on Pelican Lake in FY2027, we need to first treat Bullock Draw (and canal that connects to Cottonwood Res, and inlet of Cottonwood Res) for EWMF in FY26 so that it is not reintroduced into Pelican Lake and the system.
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
Bullock has no fisheries management plan but is part of the predator management stocking plan which consists of Wiper and Tiger muskie as rough fish controls. NER Aquatic Invasive Species biologist has written a draft plan to combat small portions of the EWMF problem.
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
Removal/control of EWMF would help with recent fish kills that occur in the hot summer months at Bullock Res. With the success of this project we could work on regaining some of the water storage back via clean excavation in the future.
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
Chemical removal of EWMF requires a management plan/treatment plan and approval from Ouray Park Irrigation Company.
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
Acquire funding to purchase the herbicide and administer the EWMF treatment of Bullock Res in July/August 2025. Monitor the effectiveness of the EWMF treatment and do spot treatments if needed.
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
Yearly monitoring of vegetation density and species, and EWM herbicide spot treatment if needed.
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
Ouray Park Irrigation Company (watermilfoil causes water delivery issues).
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
Monitor EWMF treatment and do spot treatments if needed. We would love to be able to better manage Bullock Draw Res as a fishery and make much needed access upgrades in the future.
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
Removal and control of EWMF are critical to have this as a viable fishery and habitat for waterfowl in the future. We hold the water rights, stock the fish, and invest in the maintenance of the dam.
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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