The purpose of this project is to improve fish habitat conditions on the North Fork Ashley Creek near the campground at Red Cloud Loop. This location has historical been noted as an important location for CRCT and other fisheries habitat. Habitat structures installed as a part of a previous enhancement project did not withstand flow events within the past decade due to inadequate ballasting. This project would utilize proven methods to withstand high flows and create deep pools, increase cover, and other factors needed for fisheries improvement.

This project aims to create durable structures with the stability necessary to enhance habitat for the long term. The goal of this project is to improve pool habitat by decreasing the width/depth ratio, increasing pool depths, and increasing cover. These enhancements would result in improved habitat for CRCT, brook and rainbow trout, and hence improve recreational fishing.

If project the project does not occur fishery condition may continue to degrade., affecting recreation and CRCT success in the stream reach.

Ashley's Land and Resource Management Plan: Riparian Objective #1 -- Maintain or improve riparian areas and riparian dependent resource values including wildlife, fish, vegetation, watershed, and recreation in a stable or upward trend. Manage for species diversity. (p. IV-45 and 46) *Maintain natural complexity and high relative productivity of riparian areas. *Riparian areas will be given a high priority for rehabilitation in range improvement, fish and wildlife improvement, watershed restoration, road maintenance, and KV programs. CRCT Task Force. 2001. Conservation agreement and strategy for Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus) in the States of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Colorado Divison of Wildlife, Fort Collins. 87p.

The majority of the logs used for the structures will standing dead road side trees. Removal of these fuels will provide some reduction fire risk.

Structures are designed in a way to sort gravels and fines. This sorting should produce favorable spawning habitat conditions.

Archaeology clearance is complete for the in and near stream portion of the project. Road side trees to be used as logs will not be harvested from known archaeological site. All trees selected for harvest and skid area will be surveyed for archaeological sites. If a site is found a new tree will be selected. NEPA is nearly complete and will be complete before the project is initiated . The project will done under a Categorical Exclusion. This proposed action may be categorically excluded from documentation in an EIS or EA as directed under FSH 1909.15, Chapter 30, Section 32.2, Category 7: Modification or maintenance of stream or lake aquatic habitat improvement structures using native materials or normal practices. And Category 13:Salvage of dead and/or dying trees not to exceed 250 acres, requiring no more than 1/2 mile of temporary road construction. The proposed action may include incidental removal of live or dead trees from landings, skid trails, and road clearings. A Joint Stream Alteration permit from Army Corps of Engineers and Utah Division of Natural Resources will be obtained.

Structures will be built primarily as described in the California Salmonid Stream Habitat Restoration Manual, VII, 1998, p. VII-39. Structures will be built using both hand crews and large equipment. Structures will be built from 18" to 24 " logs along with 24" boulders. Log structures will be attatched to boulders by drilling a hole through the log and 10" into the boulder. Threaded rebar will be inserted through the log and epoxied into the boulders. Large plate washers and nuts will then be added. The types of structures to be built will include v-notch weirs, upsurge weirs, enhanced point bars, log complexes, root wads, and log and rock barbs. Some logs and boulders will come from onside, however the majority of the material will be procured offsite. Large standing dead road sized hazard will be felled, skidded, and loaded on a logging truck and hauled to the project location. Boulders will be obtained from a local forest quarry.

UDWR has been contacted and support this project. UDWR staff will assist in electrofishing surveys in regards to estimating the stream reaches fisheries population numbers. Surveys will then be repeated every 5 years to ascertain the effects the project has had on the fisheries. In addition pre-project cross section and a long profile was completed in 2017 and will be repeated directly after the project implementation and every 5 years there after. This will show geomorphic changes to the channel as a result of the structures.

The importance of this project has been identified by both the USDA Forest Service and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources through financial support and/or other monitoring support of the fisheries as a whole. The Utah Conservation Corps will provide labor for the project through a participating agreement, which provides training opportunities for students that are exploring natural resources and is a partnership with Utah State University.

Area is used for livestock grazing and the project shall not have an effect on future livestock grazing. As for recreation, the project should increase fish populations and thereby improve future fishing and camping opportunities. If structures fail overtime, an adaptive management approach will be taken and the structures will be repaired or rebuilt.

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