Cottonwood Creek is one of eight small direct tributaries that flow into the Weber River near Mountain Green, Utah. Although small, these tributary streams play an important role in supporting critical spawning and rearing habitats for the fluvial Bonneville cutthroat trout that occur within this reach of the Weber River. These cutthroat trout are not only highly sought after by anglers, but also represent an ecologically important conservation population with a unique migratory life history. Unfortunately most of the spawning habitat required by the migratory cutthroat trout occurs in these small tributaries and much of the habitat remains inaccessible; blocked by road crossings, and irrigation diversions, although TU, UDWR and partners are working collaboratively to improve fish passage on all of these tributaries. Using a PIT tag antenna array, the UDWR has identified Cottonwood Creek as an important spawning tributary for BCT in this reach of the Weber River, based on the number of fish detected traveling over PIT tag antennas. This particular diversion has been in place for decades. Its location is on Cottonwood Creek, approximately six miles upstream with its confluence with the Weber River. The diversion is operated by Mountain Green Secondary Water Company. Although the diversion dam is likely not a complete barrier for fish migrating upstream, it represents a serious challenge for downstream-migrating fish. When the post-spawned fish and their progeny return to the river they are not able to get past this diversion on the descending limb of the hydrograph and many are killed on a grate incorporated in their intake structure.

Reconnect potentially over 10 miles of stream for BCT spawning habitat with the Weber River and allow safe passage for spawning fish back to the river.

This project addresses the risk of habitat fragmentation within the Weber River. A 2013 basinwide barrier assessment identified almost 400 fish migration barriers across the entire Weber River watershed. The approach taken by TU and the UDWR has been to focus habitat reconnection efforts on several key areas in the watershed and prioritize actions within those areas, to effectively address the basinwide challenge. This reach of the Lower Weber River and its tributaries is a priority because of the presence of BCT and Bluehead sucker strongholds.

BCT Conservation Agreement and Strategy Identified habitat fragmentation as a primary threat to BCT persistence. Reconnecting habitat for populations with unique life histories is a primary objective in the Northern and Bear River GMU's. Weber River Watershed Plan Assessing and identifying fish passage barriers is a key strategy within the 2014 watershed plan, specifically as the assessments lead towards prioritized habitat reconnection projects in key areas. This passage project meets those criteria and supports reconnection actions in the plan. This project directly fulfills and follows those strategies and objectives in the Rangewide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Boneville Cutthroat Trout, State of Utah Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Boneville Cutthroat Trout and the Weber River restoration plan of 2014 with strategies listed below. All attached in the documents sections is a designation of 5 priority areas on the Weber River where we want to restore or enhance habitat in these areas. This project falls within Section 4 of the Weber River which has been identified as a Blue Ribbon reach and focuses on work to improve fish passage of BCT and Bluehead Sucker.

Not applicable in this project

This project will allow the users of the diversion to more efficiently take water from the stream while still allowing fish migration to occur for spawning purposes. It will greatly impact for good those fish using this tributary for spawning.

We will work with Mountain Green Secondary Water Company to help with design and implementation of this diversion in the fall of 2017.

Mountain Green Secondary Water Company has applied for a WaterSMART grant to receive funds to design and install this diversion. The water company contacted TU and DWR for help in writing a letter of support for the replacement of this diversion. During the design process TU and DWR will be engaged with the design for fish passage on the structure itself and then in the fall be on site while construction takes place. We will also help, if needed, through the permitting process.

An effective monitoring program has been in place on this reach of the Weber River since 2011 using the PIT tag antenna array. This monitoring indicates that Cottonwood Creek is one of the most important spawning tributaries to fluvial BCT. Antenna arrays will be placed in the future to track the use of spawning cutthroat trout in proximity to this diversion. Following construction, by placing a PIT-tag antenna downstream and upstream of this diversion, we can determine what percentage of BCT make it upstream of the diversion.

Trout Unlimited UDWR Mountain Green Secondary Water Company

This project is complimentary to other proposed or completed fish passage actions that project partners have engaged in throughout neighboring tributaries such as Strawberry Creek, Jacobs Creek, Gordon Creek and Peterson Creek. The overall intent of these actions is to reconnect a geographically diverse number of tributaries for BCT spawning to improve the resiliency of this important fluvial population. The tributary actions are also complimentary to actions and opportunities within the Weber River mainstem, which includes instream flow leasing and a collaborative FERC hydropower relicensing project on PacifiCorp's power facility in 2020.

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