Fish passage is currently blocked at three irrigation diversions on the North Branch Otter Creek. These are the last fish passage barriers remaining throughout all branches of Otter Creek. Stream channels have been straightened and denuded of woody vegetation at all three diversions. The first piscicide treatment of all three branches of Otter Creek occurred in 2015. A second treatment is required before the reintroduction of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT) and Northern Leatherside Chub (NLC), both native fish species with UDWR management prescriptions for the expansion and establishment of new populations.

1) Improve upstream fish passage at three irrigation diversions. 2) Restore 1,100 feet of stream habitat at these diversions and adjacent sites. 3) Complete the second piscicide treatment and reintroduce BCT and NLC to all branches of Otter Creek.

Fish passage is currently blocked by three irrigation diversions on the North Branch Otter Creek. These diversions fragment habitat by preventing the upstream movement of fish. Stream habitat at these diversions and adjacent areas has been degraded by channel straightening and the current operation of the diversions. Once BCT and NLC are reestablished in Otter Creek above the fish barrier, then all stream length among the three branches of the creek should be connected to allow fish movement. This will provide the greatest length of stream and population connection to provide for the long-term persistence of this population.

Utah Wildlife Action Plan: The Utah Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy identifies "species of greatest conservation needs" including BCT [Tier I; Table 5.1 on page 5-3] and several other species that this project will benefit, including NLC, sculpin, and speckled dace. The plan identifies and describes a series of strategic actions designed to benefit these and other at-risk species and their habitats. Consistent with those strategic actions, this restoration project on Otter Creek will address specific high priority threats and conservation actions [Table 6.1 on page 6-41], including (1) "hybridization and competition with non-native species" and (2) "chemically or physically remove non-native salmonids". The work on Otter Creek is within a Utah WRI riparian focus area and a WAP Conservation Action Area and benefits mountain riparian habitat, one of the top ten keys habitats in the state as identified in the Utah Wildlife Action Plan. UDWR Strategic Plan: this project will help the UDWR meet its Resource Goal, which is to "expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. This project will specifically address objectives 2 and 3 of the UDWR Resource Goal, which are to (1) "increase fish and game populations to meet management plan objectives and expand quality fishing and hunting opportunities," and to (2) "conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered." UDWR Upper Bear River Management Plan (hydrologic unit 16010101): Identifies native and nonnative interactions as a resource and biological issue in this watershed [page 9]. Management strategies for BCT include (1) "chemical treatment of streams or lakes to remove nonnative fish" [page 11]. Management strategies for NLC include (2) "removal of nonnative fish species" and (3) "introduction into historical range" [page11]. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Conservation Agreement and Strategy (signed by all states within historic range): The goal of the BCT CAS is to (1) "ensure the long-term existence of BCT within its historic range [page 2]. Specific actions include (2) the selective control of nonnative species [page 34, sections 4(a,b and c)], as well as (3) subsequent introduction/re-introduction actions [page 35, sections 5(a, b and c). This project will also help to address the specific objective of additional BCT conservation populations in the Bear River in Utah [Table 2]. UDWR Rangewide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Northern leatherside chub: The goal of this effort is to (1) "ensure the long-term persistence of northern leatherside chub within its historic range" by implementing strategies including to (2) "restore populations at selected localities within the historic range" [page 1]. Achievement of this goal requires implementation of conservation elements such as (3) nonnative control and (4) range expansion [pages 5 -- 6], which are proposed for Otter Creek.

Not applicable to this project.

All three irrigation diversions contribute to water quality problems. The water users currently use a backhoe and earthen fill to divert water into their diversions - regularly introducing sediment into the stream. In addition, channel straightening associated with the diversions is causing erosion as the stream tries to adjust and meander, creating erosion and sediment deposition. Water quantity should also be improved because the rebuild of the diversions will improve the ability of the water users to regulate their canal flows and only take the water they need, rather than diverting the entire stream.

No NEPA will be required for the irrigation diversion and stream channel restoration work on private property. The rotenone treatment is covered under an EA completed by UDWR and the USFWS in 2012. No cultural resource surveys have been completed for the irrigation diversions. A stream alteration permit will be applied for to cover the diversion and stream restoration work.

Topographic surveys will be completed at all three diversions, including longitudinal profiles, representative cross sections, and mapping. Surveys will also be conducted at stream channel reference sites that have had relatively minimal disturbance and appear to have good habitat quality and channel geometry. The site and reference surveys will be used to guide the design of the stream channel at the diversion sites. Rock cross-vanes will be installed to divert water into the three canals. These structures will be fish passable and provide the water user the necessary water elevation to divert water into the canals. Headgates (screw type) will be installed in two canals to permit the water users to control irrigation flows into their canals. An undersized culvert immediately above the Site 1 irrigation diversion will be replaced with a larger culvert. Stream channel restoration will occur at all sites. At Site 1, moving the point of diversion upstream will allow the creation of another 50 feet of meandering stream channel. At Site 2, the stream channel will be returned from a straightened channel of 550 feet that has no riparian woody vegetation to the historic stream channel of about 1,200 feet that has willows along most of its bank length. The historic channel also has substantial ground water inflow of springs and seeps that will provide cold water refuge for fishes. At Site 3, the current straightened channel of 950 feet with limited willow vegetation will be placed in a meandering stream channel of about 1,300 feet with existing willow cover. At all sites, willows clumps will be transplanted along the new channel lengths. A second rotenone treatment of the 20 miles of Otter Creek will be conducted during September 2016. About 12 UDWR, BLM, and USFS personnel that are piscicide application certified are required for the day of the treatment. In addition, several of these personnel will be preparing the treatment a couple days in advance and staying a day or two after to complete post treatment assessment and monitoring. BCT to be stocked in Otter Creek will be offspring of fish in Big Creek. Big Creek will be annually inspected and disease certified in April 2016. Adult cutthroat trout will be captured in Big Creek during the May-June spawning period. Fish will be spawned on site and then the fertilized eggs transported to the Fisheries Experiment Station (FES) in Logan. Fish emerging from the eggs will be reared for about 3 months at FES. In addition, there are about 4,000 cutthroat trout currently at FES that were hatched in 2015 will be about 6 inches in length by September 2016. All fish will be released into Otter Creek after the second rotenone treatment. The Rich County Commission and Otter Creek landowners will allow the introduction of northern leatherside chub into Otter Creek following the second chemical treatment. The UDWR has disease certified Yellow Creek (Summit County) and moved NLC into FES. FES had spawned these fish and currently is holding 1,000+ NLC to be stocked in October 2016. In addition, the UDWR is working with Wyoming G&F and will certify the Hams Fork in May 2016 which will allow the movement of 1,000+ wild NLC from the Hams Fork in October 2016.

UDWR uses fish in live cages to assess and monitor the efficacy of the rotenone during the treatment. UDWR will conducted post-treatment electrofishing to evaluate if any wild fish survived the treatment. In out years, electrofishing of established sites will be used to assess fish dispersion, growth, and reproduction. All three irrigation diversions will be assessed with the water users to make sure that everything is working correctly during the 2017 irrigation season. Stream channel restoration work will be assessed during snowmelt runoff and at base flows to assess water flow paths, bank stability, sediment movement and deposition. Willow survival and growth will be assessed during spring/summer 2017.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Bureau of Land Management, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, private landowners and water users

Otter Creek will be managed by UDWR for native fishes once the stream treatments are completed and BCT and NLC are restored to Otter Creek.

Irrigation of pastures and hay fields for cattle will be improved at all three canals. Better water control and application to fields should improve forage production. The proposed Three Creeks grazing allotment consolidation is included in the headwaters of Otter Creek. This allotment proposal has the potential to improve riparian conditions and stream shading and reduce sediment; benefits that could extend downstream to the private property where this WRI project is proposed.

09/18/2017

06/30/2018

2018

Three irrigation diversions were rebuilt on the North Branch of Otter Creek to be fish passable. A road crossing was also moved at one of the diversions. A second rotenone treatment of creek was completed. Native Cutthroat Trout and Northern Leatherside Chubs were restored to the stream.

These were the last three remaining fish passage barriers on Otter Creek. All were rebuilt and all of Otter Creek, about 20 miles, is fully reconnected for the restored Cutthroat Trout and Northern Leatherside Chub populations.

The stream will be managed for Cutthroat Trout and Northern Leatherside Chubs. Stream habitat improvement for these species will likely be a next step on Otter Creek.