Phase I of this project was funded in FY 2018 and the need to finalize this project and open it up to the public is high. Phase II includes all the finish work to complete this project with an anticipated opening date of Spring 2019. As reported in the UDWR statewide angler survey report for 2016, the need for a community fishing pond in the Vernal area is highly desired. Utah is home to around 48 community fishing pond with zero in the Uintah Basin.

1) Complete all landscaping around the pond site including trails, fishing access points and the parking area and continue to work on completing wetland mitigation area. 2) Install facilities on the property to maintain a high level of satisfaction with users and neighbors. This includes the installation of bathroom structure, security cameras, benches, picnic tables, foot bridges, several educational kiosks and a possible fishing pier. 3)Finalize and install safety components to help with traffic speeds and increased traffic in the area. This includes 2 solar powers speed detection signs on both ends of the county road. 4)Complete plantings to increase species diversity within the wetland mitigation complex and replace plants that did not survive the previous year. This is a 5 year USACOE obligation and critical to meet the success criteria for this site. Also associated with this objective is yearly completion of the USACOE report for this wetland mitigation area. 5)Finalize to the best of our ability the water delivery and operation structures needed to maintain and pass through our DWR owned water shares. This includes items such as winter water to the ponds via culinary system and a finalized water delivery from the Ashley Upper canal the remainder of the water year. In order to finalize these aspects we need to see how the water/hydrology of the area preforms for the next 1-3 years. Ground water and flow-through spring water may cover our evaporation losses, but we have to evaluate and see how the entire system functions before finalized decisions can be made. 6)Over all goal is to be able to have our community fishing these ponds and enjoying the new WMA by June of 2019

1) USACOE mitigation requirements could be jeopardized if funding packages are not obtained 2) A nearly completed set of community fishing ponds might be left unfinished and due to residents concerns and safety issues may not be able to open to the public until complete. 3)UDWR public image if we cannot open the facility in a timely fashion.

1)This project falls inline with the states strategic plan to provide increase angling opportunity and increase fishing license sells into the future. 2) Old Fort Ponds WMA will have its own management plan which is currently in draft form. 3) Old Fort ponds is included in the watershed management plan currently underway with Uintah Water Conservancy district as the lead. 4) Old Fort ponds in included in the Uintah County trails system master plan with a possible trail connection in the future.

This project will increase the wetness of the ground in the 14.4 acre WMA but transfer of water shares to the property. With the possibility of piping on the upper canal systems which deliver irrigation water to Vernal, the area has a high probability of becoming dry. This wetland mitigation area will be a positive feature to the area in the future and will provide protection to the area in multiple ways include a lesser risk of fire due to drought.

This project is aimed to increase water quantity as we will be transferring 20 DWR owned water shares to this site to increase water quality for the fishing ponds but also increase/sustain water quantity to the wetland mitigation site. The wetland mitigation site equals 10 acres of wet meadow in which the DWR will be working to enhance, water saturation is a key component of this pond project.

All permits and clearances are secure at this time for construction and completion of phase II If all goes as planned only one final permit will need completion (small dam application)

1) FY 2018 Utilize UDWR heavy equipment crew to complete major excavation 2) FY 2019 Utilize UDWR HE crew to finalize all remaining aspects of the excavation, landscaping and parking lot area. 3) FY 2019 utilize UDWR techs and biologist to complete required mitigation site work including: plantings, interior fencing, and signage installation. 4) FY19-FY24 continue enhancement of wetland mitigation area.

1)Long term monitoring of this site includes: wetland saturation, wetland vegetation plantings, hydrology monitoring as required by the USACOE. 2)UDWR will conduct fisheries surveys and angler use surveys into the future which will provide useful information for fisheries managers.

Uintah County, Uintah Water Conservancy District, Meier Management Group (Land donation),

Old Fort Ponds WMA will have its own management plan and operate under this plan. Drafts of this WMA management plan are in the works with next steps being: county and other public input, the RDCC process and the RAC process. The wetland mitigation area will be enhanced and managed under the USACOE permit and requires 5 years to evaluate success. The facilities and ponds themselves will be managed under the UDWR northeastern regional office for the next five years. During that time negotiations with the county will take place to see if the Uintah Recreation District will take over facilities care and maintenance. Until that time UDWR will seek Habitat Council funds for Aquatic facilities operations and maintenance for the northeastern region as we did in FY18.

N/A to this project for at least 5 years. There is a clause in the deed restrictions that may allow grazing on the bottom portion of this site for vegetation control if needed. This would only be a short window of grazing and would be limited to the bottom 10 acres of the property.

07/02/2018

06/28/2019

2019

UDWR biolgist coordinated with heavy equipment crew, CAT rentals, local construction companies and other resources to complete a new set of community fishing ponds located near Dry Fork canyon. These ponds were constructed on donated lands, we used multiple partners and local resources to complete the project. We are still under a USACOE permit for wetland mitigation until 2022.

UDWR utilized multiple resources to construct a state of the art community fishing pond complex complete with fencing, parking area, restroom, landscaping, trails, security system, automatic front entry gates and a 10 acre wetland mitigation area. The ponds total 1.5 surface acres with and average depth of 12 feet. The ponds are cobble lined, with a clay cut off wall helping to retain the water in a porous sand environment. The ponds are fed with ground water, spring water and irrigation water in which the DWR owns. We also manage the 10 acre wetland mitigation area below the ponds which provide a great opportunity for education and wildlife viewing.

UDWR will manage this under its regional WMA program with aquatics section being the lead for future needs. We will utilize NER operation and maintenance funds to keep the area in good shape for our users. Aquatics and habitat sections have already partnered in up-keep of the wetland mitigation area and will continue to create more species diversity while removing noxious weeds and trees. UDWR will continue to hire a local company to mow and provide weed removal services around the ponds. A seasonal PT tech will work at the ponds 2 days per week for 4-5 hours to clean up trash, remove dead fish, water plants until they are established and provide any assistance to our angling public while onsite. Restrooms are cleaned once a week in the busy summer season and every two weeks in the shoulder seasons. Trash pick up is weekly by GH garbage. Right now this is working great we may adjust in the future if an opportunity to partner with the county comes up.