Several ponds located in the Salt Lake valley like the Sugarhouse pond are suffering from poor water quality issues, and concerns to wildlife and public health have arisen. In order to avoid these serious water quality issues at Fairmont Park Pond, we are proposing this project to improve the habitat for wildlife and create new opportunity for fishermen in an urban environment. Avian botulism and toxic algal blooms have both been issues of concern in several water bodies recently. Shallow warm waters high in nutrients seem to be a part of what creates the environment for these issues. In order to help prevent such problems from occurring in the Fairmont pond and its tributaries we are proposing to divert two natural streams into the pond to increase water flow and dredge the pond to make it deeper and decrease water temperatures. We will also place rock along the streams and pond banks to stabilize the soil from eroding and we will plant wetland plants to also help stabilize banks and help to remove nutrients out of the system. This wetland vegetation should help to reduce any threats of algal blooms occurring from too high of nutrients. In addition to improving water quality and quantity this project is also designed to improve the ecosystem by decreasing the water temperatures so that trout species of fish will better be able to survive and reproduce in the streams. We will plant vegetation and place rock to increase hiding habitat for fish, to increase food, and potentially spawning habitat. The goal is to restore the natural ecosystem that once existed here where several WAP species and other amphibians, fish, bats, and birds will be able to benefit. Urbanization and all of the related to threats have impacted this area greatly from what it was historically. We hope to be able to restore some of the ecological functions of this habitat for those species that utilize urban areas. This project will also provide a cleaner environment for the public and provide greater opportunity to fish and experience nature within the city. This is a great opportunity to outreach a portion of the community and help to achieve the new UDWR R3 initiative goals to retain, and recruit sportsman. There are many urban families and kids that frequent the park and creating a community fishery here will allow for greater opportunity to recruit new fishermen. There are also many recent immigrants from other countries that frequent this park and this would be a great opportunity to involve them in fishing. It would be a huge benefit to the UDWR to recruit these individuals as sportsmen. This project will also bring together a new partnership of different government and private organizations. The Boys and Girls club has a facility adjacent to the park and their kids will greatly benefit from this project and give them an opportunity to experience nature. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be partnering with the Salt Lake City Parks, the Salt Lake Conservation District, and the Sugarhouse Community Council. Salt Lake City Parks and the community are excited to rehabilitate this park that has been deteriorating and to restore it to a natural state and increase the value and beauty of this property in the heart of Salt Lake. Cement and grass will be replaced by rock, native shrubs, trees, and wetland plants. This will provide more insect species for birds and bats to eat. Vegetation will also provide nesting habitat for birds and cover for birds like quail to raise chicks and to forage from the berries. Wetland vegetation and rock will provide greater habitat for amphibian species such as frogs and snakes. Along with water quality issues there are invasions of weed species such as Phragmites that are beginning to choke out the streams in the park. This aggressive plant is a risk of taking over the park and is providing a continual seed source that is flowing downstream and likely reaching the Jordan River. We will remove this phragmites mechanically and with herbicide where necessary. This phragmites is also posing a fire risk to the parks large trees and nearby power lines and buildings. The threat of fire from these tall dry plants will be removed from by this project. This project will also reduce the erosion that is occurring into the streams and pond by stabilizing the banks. Current erosion is likely occurring from high water events, recreational use, and waterfowl. We will be placing rock and planting vegetation within the inter-spaces of this rock to keep this problem down. By doing this it will help to increase the water quality. In addition to these improvements to the pond and streams we will be planting trees and shrubs in the uplands that will provide cover and food for bird species such as California quail. The UDWR upland game coordinators are trapping these quail and transplanting them to areas where they are huntable. So by benefiting and increasing this population we will be creating an additional hunting opportunity. We will also be working with the Wild Utah Project to get a few bat boxes installed in the park to increase habitat for the bats that use the park.

1. Improve water quality of the Fairmont Pond and stream. 2. Increase water quantity in the pond and stream. 3. Decrease erosion and down-cutting along stream banks and amount of sediment entering pond. 4. Improve the riparian and shrub habitat around the pond and streams for wildlife. 5. Increase public awareness of watershed restoration initiative and habitat restoration. 6. Increase opportunity for fishing for public within Salt Lake City and reach R3 intitiative goals through recruiting new sportsman. 7. Remove weedy species such as phragmites. 8. Reduce fire risks.

If we do not conduct this project there will be greater risk to human and animal health from water quality issues like avian botulism, algal blooms, or other concerns. In the nearby Sugarhouse pond several dogs have been reported as getting sick from the avian botulism and waterfowl are dying. In Utah Lake there were claims of humans and pets getting very sick from the algal blooms. If we do not conduct this project we increase the risk of such problems here in Fairmont. This could result in sickness or death of many bird and wildlife including WAP species that utilize this park. Sediment from erosion of streams continues to enter the pond and go down stream reducing the water quality. If we do not conduct this project to stabilize these banks they will continue to erode and contaminate the water and future efforts to repair lost soil will be greater and more costly. If we do not do this project now, when Salt Lake City Parks is already going to be making some improvements, it will be harder to do this project in the future and will cost more money. If we try and dredge the pond in the future we will also damage some of the plantings and developments that Salt Lake is going to do this next year. Because of this they may not allow us to do this in the future and we will lose the opportunity to make this a community fishery. One of the biggest threats to wildlife conservation is a decreasing interest in hunting and fishing from the public. From hunting and fishing we are able to fund a majority of these restoration projects. It is essential that we consider this threat and fund projects that help to recruit new individuals to develop a love for the outdoors and to participate in hunting and fishing for many years to come. By taking advantage of this opportunity to establish a community fishery in the heart of Salt Lake we will be providing a convenient fishing opportunity for this urban community that may not be interested or able to fish otherwise. There are currently 191,000 people living in Salt Lake City itself and 1,000,000 living in the Salt Lake Metro Area. This is one third of the whole population of the state and a large proportion of these people do not participate in hunting or fishing. Therefore it is essential that we seriously consider projects like this one as addressing this threat of an apathetic population towards nature and conservation. At this time Salt Lake City Parks has gone through a lengthy community outreach process to get permission to make improvements to the pond. If we do not take this opportunity at this time to make these improvements we will have to go back through all this process again in the future and costs will be higher because we will not have the partnership that we have now with the city. We also risk crossing vegetation thresholds by not doing this project with phragmites that will make treatment much more expensive in the future. There are currently phragmites that is growing larger and spreading every year. As part of the stream restoration we will remove this phragmites and prevent further spread. This will also increase the fire risk in the future to the nearby trees and buildings which could cost $100,000 in repairs.

Fairmont Park Site Implementation Plan 1. This plan discusses the need to improve the pond edge to mitigate impacts from annual flooding. We will be placing rock and plantings to stabilize these banks and to reduce erosion from flooding. Fairmont Park Master Plan Section 2.3.1 Site Analysis Summary 1. The plan documents the need to restore the creek flowing through the park to repair erosion and deterioration. We will be working on this to restore the creek to a natural and healthy ecosystem and fix the erosion issues. 2. It also states that the existing pond needs renovation to help contain water, to control erosion, and provide an improved amenity. We will be restoring this pond and addressing the erosion issues. We will also be increasing the value of this amenity by creating a community fishery. Objective 1.2 1. Restore Existing Stream Channel - This project is designed to restore the stream channels through the park to a natural state and repair the damage that has occurred to them. 2. Assess spring water seepage from eastern hillside and install new drainage system to drain water through bio-filtration wetland into pond. - We will be filtering this spring seepage into the pond through a network of streams and wetland vegetation that we will plant. The Partners in Flight Landbird Conservation Plan 1. The plan states that as a recommended conservation action strategy the need to preserve greenspace and use native plants in urban and suburban landscaping. This project will directly achieve this recommend action by planting native vegetation and restoring this greenspace within an urban landscape. Pg. 13 2. The plan mentions as a solution to the threat of urban sprawl the creation and retention of urban green space and bird-friendly practices in developed areas. This project will be enhancing the value of this green space and help to create more bird friendly environment within the park for nesting and raising young. Pg 14 3. The plan states the need to restore habitat using native plants.Pg 17 Wildlife Action Plan 1. Under the threats, data gaps, and action section of the plan it identifies a list of Essential Conservation Actions. Two of these actions are being accomplished by this project. First, it states the need to restore and improve degraded wildlife habitats. Second, it states the need to take advantage of opportunities. This project is an opportunity that may never come around again for us to restore this habitat within the city and increase its value for certain WAP species and others. 2. The wildlife action plan lists little brown myotis, american white pelican, and the bald eagle as species of greatest conservation need. The little brown myotis has the potential to be located in the Fairmont Park area. We identified bats using the area with a bat recorder, but were not able to identify them to species. However, Terri Pope, the sensitive species biologist said of the bats that we recorded that they were likely to be the little brown myotis. The American White Pelican and the Bald Eagle have both been identified and recorded on the ebrid website as being present at the Fairmont Park. All three of these species will be benefited by this project. 2. The habitat type that this project is located in as identified in the WAP is the aquatic scrub/shrub type. We will be improving the habitat in this key habitat and addressing the threats to this habitat type. 3. The plan identifies sediment transport imbalance as a medium threat to this habitat type and this project will help to reduce sediment transport by stabilizing the banks with vegetation and rocks. 4.It identifies channel down-cutting as a high threat and this project will help to remove the channels in the stream and make a more subtle gradient. We will use wetland sod mats to help reconnect the vegetation to the flood plain. 5. Housing and Urban Areas is also listed. These springs and streams prior to urban development likely provided exceptional habitat for many wildlife species in this dry desert valley. From human development of housing and other buildings this water source has lost much of its potential value. Fairmont Park itself has lost much of its value by cement curbs along the water banks and replacement of native vegetation with lawn. This project will help to restore the ecological value of this area for wildlife and offset the negative impacts of housing and urban development. 6. Agricultural/ Municipal/ Industrial Water is listed as a very high threat to this habitat type and it clearly has impacted this area. This water likely provided wildlife habitat for miles prior to its use for irrigation and other municipal needs. Fortunately the stretch of stream and pond in the park have been preserved. This project will help to make this remaining water more valuable to wildlife to help offset some of the impacts from this water use. We will be daylighting springs that are currently piped underground to increase their value for wildlife. We will be applying the action identified as 5.1.4 Engage with water management authorities and water user groups to find flexibility within existing water laws and policies for meeting wildlife conservation objectives. We will be working within water laws to increase the usefulness of this pond and springs to wildlife and benefit the agricultural and municipal water uses of this water. 7. The plan mentions two management strategies that this project addresses to help improve this habitat type through 1.( restoring more natural water and sediment flow regimes) and 2. (Continuing the use of appropriate methods for reducing the spread and dominance of invasive weeds, including "early detection -- rapid response" programs.) We will be stabilizing the banks with vegetation and providing areas where water pools or runs off with more stability and removing phragmites. 8. The WAP states that the indirect benefits to WAP species from preserving wildlife habitat in and around urban areas are many. Experiencing nature in an urban context can foster support for ecological preservation and has the potential to improve quality of life and health of urban and suburban residents."pg.79 We are directly following the guidance of the WAP in improving these urban habitats. Parleys Creek Management Plan http://www.slcdocs.com/utilities/Stream%20Study%20website/Parleys/Final/7_Projects_Parleys.pdf The Fairmont Park water is not directly connected to Parleys Creek, but it flows adjacent to the end of the creek and is basically within the same watershed. The Fairmont Park pond is just fed by nearby springs and not directly from the creek. The same management guidelines in this plan can be applied to this park and water body. 1. Pg.15 Goal: Improve Riparian Habitat through Control of Invasive Plant Species and Restoration of Native Plant Communities 2. Action: Initiate invasive plant removal/control efforts in city-owned riparian corridor areas, beginning upstream and working downstream, utilizing an integrated weed control strategy. We will be applying this strategy to the city-owned property in Fairmont Park by removing invasive phragmites and planting native vegetation. 3. This proposal recommends establishing no-mow buffers between manicured lawn and stream banks. We will be implementing this strategy in the park by replacing lawn with natural vegetation. 4. The plan recommends using bio-technical slope stabilization methods instead of just concrete. We will be using this method with a combination of boulders and plantings to stabilize the soil. 5. The plan recommends daylighting the stream. We will be daylighting portions of the springs that are currently being piped into the pond which will increase the value of wildlife from these springs. Utah Partners in Flight Avian Conservation Strategy 1. Pg. 80 American White Pelicans- Habitat Objective 4. Key foraging areas should be identified and managed for sustainable fisheries in balance with other Wetland management objectives. This project will enhance the fish in the pond and streams and provide valuable foraging for pelicans as they rest here as well as improve the aquatic habitat and water quality so as to provide a better resting area.

There are currently several large patches of phragmites along the stream in the park (See Photos) that are near building structures and large trees. There are many people that frequent the park and the risk of a human ignition is fairly high. The phragmites is very thick and towers about 15 feet high and is very dry. If this phragmites started on fire and ignited the nearby trees there could be a massive canopy fire within the park and heart of the city and would result in the loss of these magnificent large trees as well as property damage to many of the nearby buildings and powerlines which would result in $100,000 of dollars in damage. As part of this project this phragmites will be removed which will reduce the current risk and prevent this from spreading and creating an even greater fire danger.

The main purpose of this project is to increase water quality and quantity.There are currently 4 springs in the Fairmont Park. Three of them currently enter the pond and one doesn't. As part of this project we will improve these springs and get more water flow into the pond. We will divert the one spring that is currently not entering the pond so that it will flow into the pond and increase water quantity. This will also help reduce the temperature and increase flows to improve water quality. We will stabilize stream banks with vegetation and rock which will reduce stream bank erosion and the amount of sediment entering the pond and going down stream. This will also increase water quality. By deepening the pond and increasing water flow we will reduce temperatures and the amount of stagnant water which will help to prevent avian botulism or algal blooms from occurring to increase the water quality and provide those cool temperatures necessary for trout survival. We are going to be placing bentonite on the bottom of the pond to reduce the amount of water that drains through the soil. This will also increase the quantity of water that is available.

All areas have been previously disturbed so cultural surveys will likely not to be necessary, but we will work with UDWR archaeologists to assure that there are no cultural concerns for this area and have all the appropriate clearances before project implementation. The land is owned by Salt Lake City and no NEPA will be required.

We will be using excavators and dump trucks to deepen the pond and to improve the springs that flow into the pond. We will also be removing a cement curb along the ponds banks and replacing it with rock and wetland seedlings. We will also place rock and plantings along the stream banks to stabilize them and create more habitat for fish and amphibian species. We will plant shrubs and trees around the pond to increase the amount of habitat for birds like quail and migratory birds to nest and have more food. These plantings will increase insects that will also benefit bat species. We will spray the phragmites with herbicide and will mow it down and excavate the roots. Salt Lake City will re-treat any regrowth. There will be a boardwalk and pier built for fishing and dock ramp for fish stocking access. We will work with the Wild Utah Project to install bat boxes on nearby buildings and trees to increase habitat.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Utah Department of Wildlife Resources will conduct initial Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP), Proper Functioning Conditioning assessment, lotic Multiple Indicator Monitoring, and Rapid Stream/Riparian Assesment Methodology (RSRA) to determine stream health and function before project implementation. We will then repeat this monitoring again one year after the project and again several years later. The UDWR is partnering with groups like Hawk Watch International who have there main office near to the park. Their biologist frequent the park and are writing a letter of support for this project to explain the value of this are for wildlife. Because they often visit the park they are have many observations of wildlife using this area prior to the project and will help to maintain track of the success of this project increasing wildlife use. The Utah Wild Project, will help us to build bat boxes and they may use this area for monitoring bats in the future. Salt Lake City Parks has maintenance funds and employees that will continue to maintain the plantings and follow up to ensure that the project continues to be a success into the future. UDWR biologists have conducted bat surveys at the park and found that bats were using the area and many bird species have been identified through citizen scientists and the ebird website reports. HawkWatch biologists have also identified many bird species using the park. UDWR will monitor presence of quail and will develop transplant programs to utilize these populations as a source for stocking areas where quail can be hunted. UDWR will monitor fish and other aquatics species and will continue to re-stock the pond as needed and to remove unwanted species if they occur.

Multiple sections of th UDWR have been involved in this project. The wildlife sections sensitive species biologist, Terri Pope has been involved in the pre-monitoring with bat recordings and planning and submitting this proposal. I have spoken with Dean Mitchell the R3 initiative director, and have his support of this project. The outreach section has been involved in this project and I have gone onsite with Marni Lee, Scott Root, and Chante Lundskog who are over the community fisheries program and they are excited to reach a more urban community. I have also been onsite with the aquatics section Mike Slater and Chris Crockett and have their support for this project and they have already ordered fish for stalking the pond in spring of 2018. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will be partnering with several groups, cities, and agencies to conduct this project and ensure it's success into the future. Salt Lake City Parks is the landowner of the property and they regularly maintain it. The Salt Lake Community Council has submitted a grant to improve the park and make it more natural for $300,000. With this funding they have hired Biowest to design plans to fix the erosion and poor water quality issues, daylight springs, and redirect the spring with. They will help to redesign the infrastructure and build boardwalks, piers, and access to the pond. Salt Lake will be helping to purchase rock and wetland vegetation to stabilize the stream and pond banks. They will be paying for all the costs to remove the cement curb around the pond bank. The Salt Lake City parks will be a partner in removing the phragmites by providing labor and continued maintenance to remove re-growth. The Utah Division of Wildlife will contribute funds to expand these restoration efforts of plantings, and bank stabilization, as well as dredging of the pond to make it suitable for fish. Dedicated hunters will be utilized and other volunteers from the community to help with plantings and reduce costs. Sportsman groups will also be invited to contribute to this project to help recruit new individuals as sportsmen. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food with the Salt Lake Conservation District is also a partner in this project. The Salt Lake Conservation District will contribute $5,000 and time to obtaining supplies, planting native riparian vegetation, spraying phragmites and stabilizing banks. The Utah Department of Agriculture, working with the Salt Lake Conservation District, is applying for a Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program monies of $30,000 to help the Salt Lake Conservation District buy native plant materials, herbicide, stabilizing materials and contracting services if needed. The Boys and Girls Club has an office adjacent to the project area and they have been contacted and we are working to involve them with the project and future education and monitoring opportunities. Hawk Watch International, The Wild Utah Project, and The Nature Conservancy have also been contacted to help support this project. Wild Utah Project will help with the installation of the bat boxes at the park.

The Salt Lake City Parks has funding and personnel capable of continuing to manage this project and ensure the success. They will monitor the success of plantings and do whatever necessary to ensure their establishment. They will place netting around the plantings to keep waterfowl and foot traffic from destroying them. The Division of Wildlife will continue to be a partner and remove waterfowl when they become destructive, place signs to educate the public, and to stock fish as needed. Future treatment of phragmites and other weeds will also be conducted by the park to ensure that it does not come back.

Winder Irrigation Company Utilizes the water that is downstream. This water may be used to water vegetation that is used to feed livestock. By increasing the amount of water and the quality this will benefit the amount of vegetation that can be watered downstream and help to increase the available forage for livestock. Also improving the water quality is important to ensure that issues such as an algal blume or avian botulism don't poison livestock downstream and make the water not usable for irrigating crops.

07/01/2017

05/17/2018

2018

We first diverted water so that it was no longer flowing into the pond with 8" PVC pipe and a check dam at the inlet. Once water was no longer flowing into the pond we began pumping the pond dry with a large diesel water pump. Unfortunately, we had several large rainstorms and underground springs that continued to fill the pond, so we had to continually be pumping the pond dry with 3" trash pumps everyday. Once we got the pond dry enough to begin excavating we still had to build a cobble path out to the middle of the pond to keep the excavator from sinking. We would drive dump trucks out on this cobble road and load from the excavator. Material was dumped offsite. Once we dug all that we could from the cobble road we began digging ourselves back out including removing the cobble road. We had to do this process three times in order to reach all of the areas of the pond that we wanted to dredge. Once we had removed all the material that we wanted the pond was about 14' deep at it's deepest point. We then started to bring in clay material to line the pond bottom that we found and tested from a nearby construction site. We brought the material in with dump trucks and spread it and compacted it with an excavator and skidsteer. Once we had covered the entire pond bottom with this clay we began to fill the pond back up. This was completed in September of 2017. Then Salt Lake City Parks contracted a contractor to do the rock edge, daylight and divert springs into pond, build walk ways and dock, and do all the landscaping. This work was done over the winter of 2017 and spring of 2018. We the UDWR in May of 2018 then came in and planted wetland sod mats in certain areas along the pond banks and streams. We also purchased bat boxes to be placed on buildings near the pond. The project was completed and the grand opening was on June 28, 2017. We stocked the pond with 600 rainbow trout and we had a large group of kids that we taught how to fish and we also had several t.v. and newspaper reporters there.

This project was designed to improve the water quality and quantity in the Fairmont Pond. In addition to improving water quality and quantity this project is also designed to improve the ecosystem by decreasing the water temperatures so that trout species of fish will better be able to survive and reproduce in the streams. We planted vegetation and placed rock to increase hiding habitat for fish, to increase food, and potentially spawning habitat. The goal was to restore the natural ecosystem that once existed here where several WAP species and other amphibians, fish, bats, and birds will be able to benefit. Urbanization and all of the related threats have impacted this area greatly from what it was historically. We hoped to be able to restore some of the ecological functions of this habitat for those species that utilize urban areas. This project will also provide a cleaner environment for the public and establish a community fishery to allow the public greater opportunity to fish and experience nature within the city. This is a great opportunity to outreach to a portion of the community and help to achieve the new UDWR R3 initiative goals to retain, and recruit sportsman. There are many urban families and kids that frequent the park and creating a community fishery here has allowed for greater opportunity to recruit new fishermen. Wetland vegetation and rock will provide greater habitat for amphibian species such as frogs and snakes. Along with water quality issues there are invasions of weed species such as Phragmites that are beginning to choke out the streams in the park. This aggressive plant is a risk of taking over the park and is providing a continual seed source that is flowing downstream and likely reaching the Jordan River. We will remove this phragmites mechanically and with herbicide where necessary. This phragmites is also posing a fire risk to the parks large trees and nearby power lines and buildings. The threat of fire from these tall dry plants will be removed from by this project. This project will also reduce the erosion that is occurring into the streams and pond by stabilizing the banks. Current erosion is likely occurring from high water events, recreational use, and waterfowl. We will be placing rock and planting vegetation within the inter-spaces of this rock to keep this problem down. By doing this it will help to increase the water quality. In addition to these improvements to the pond and streams we will be planting trees and shrubs in the uplands that will provide cover and food for bird species. The UDWR upland game coordinators are trapping these quail and transplanting them to areas where they are huntable. So by benefiting and increasing this population we will be creating an additional hunting opportunity. We will also be working with the Wild Utah Project to get a few bat boxes installed in the park to increase habitat for the bats that use the park.

The UDWR will continue to stock the pond with fish and Salt Lake City Parks and Recreation will maintain and keep the project clean.