Most of the streams listed in the project area have been significantly altered by land management actions, or direct channel modifications. For example, East Canyon Creek has experienced dramatic modifications over time. During the 1900's much of the stream was heavily grazed and then treated with herbicides to remove willows in an effort to maximize forage production for cattle. The resulting channel changes, including lateral bank erosion and channel incision greatly impacted ecological function, degraded water quality and in many cases, permanently altered the water table. Resultant headcutting has delivered fine sediments downstream, where water quality has been negatively affected. In East Canyon Creek historical mining also impacted water quality by releasing large amounts of phosphorus through fine sedimentation. As the area has developed, additional phosphorus-laden fine sediment has been released into the watershed along with dramatic changes in the hydrograph associated with development. These include a flashy hydrography and severely reduced flows. Ultimately the sediments are stored in East Canyon Reservoir. In Fish Creek decades of unmanaged grazing on an erosive geology have degraded instream and riparian habitat, plus upstream sediment sources continue to contribute significant amounts of sediment to the lower South Fork of Chalk Creek all the way down to Echo Reservoir. The project proposed herein would develop a similar design and construct to several of these structures on the Mormon Flat property (https://wri.utah.gov/wri/project/title.html?id=3787), using a conservation corps and volunteers to provide a bulk of the labor.

This project seeks to use constructed beaver dams as a tool to: 1) Maintain or enhance floodplain connectivity to reduce the stream energy during flashy high water events 2) Store fine sediment in the upper watershed and prevent it from being deposited into East Canyon Reservoir 3) Improve instream fish habitat

BDA's have proven to be an effective restoration strategy at reducing channel degradation within headwater streams. Primary threats addressed by this project include: 1. Continued headwater tributary degradation. This project is needed to begin reversing the trend of habitat degradation within the proposed areas. Continued degradation may result in increased restoration costs with future restoration. 2. Habitat for native fish is currently very degraded in these low-mid elevation low-order tributaries. BDA's reincorporate important habitat variability elements that provide habitat diversity. 3. As was observed in East Canyon Creek. BDA's function very effectively to store fine sediment on the floodplain. Fine sediment filtering is important for maintaining water quality and quantity for reaches downstream.

The 2014 Weber River Restoration Plan indicated that the impacts from land development and management were major challenges to habitat and water quality in East Canyon Creek and the South Fork of Chalk Creek. This project compliments much of the past restoration work that has been completed in the watersheds in the past and implements new strategies in new areas to restore floodplain connectivity. Chalk Creek and all of its tributaries are currently listed as impaired waters by the Utah Division of Water Quality for elevated levels of Phosphorus, fine sediment and physical habitat degradation. In addition to the listed impairments, sections of Chalk Creek reach elevated temperatures during the summer, sometimes exceeding the known lethal limit for Bonneville cutthroat trout. Nevertheless, the strong cutthroat trout population is sustained through a partially connected network of habitat with thermal refugia throughout the watershed. The South Fork of Chalk Creek has the potential to be a significant coldwater refuge for Bonneville cutthroat trout, however past and current land management patterns result in significant heating along the longitudinal gradient of the creek and its tributaries during the summer. This is partially due to unmanaged livestock grazing in riparian areas

Healthy and robust riparian areas can provide a buffer against fires.

We expect to see the following water quality benefits: 1) Improved (colder) stream temperatures 2) Reduced fine sedimentation in riffles

This will be a noninvasive project. We will consult with the appropriate agencies to ensure that all clearances have been addressed. We will be completing a stream alteration permit for this project

We will conduct monitoring with the Utah Wild Project of sites prior to BDA installation to assess their condition. We propose to develop a design plan during the summer of 2018 and implement in the late fall of 2018 using a combination of volunteers and contracted conservation corps individuals. Beaver Dam Analogs will be constructed based on design techniques using the ICRRR beaver restoration principles. The basic construction techniques include the use of sharpened lodgepole fence posts, approximately 3-4" diameter, which will be driven into the ground with a gas-powered hydraulic post pounder. The posts will be driven to a depth of approximately 1 m into the streambed. The posts will extend about 1 m above the channel bed depending on the stream. The posts will be spaced approximately 0.5 - 0.8 m apart. We will then weave willow branches or other tree branches that are available onsite between the posts to create a structure that will mimic a beaver dam. The concept is that the dams will last until sediment has aggraded behind the the dam. Riparian an emergent vegetation begins to grow and the stream channel aggrades and floods. We will place dams about 30 - 100 m apart, depending on factors such as gradient and degree of incision. After a year we will assess the health of the streams again and determine what progress has been made.

In this proposal we are asking for funds to continue extensive monitoring of the success of this project. Staff from the Wild Utah Project have authored the development of a Rapid Stream-Riparian Assessment (RSRA) monitoring methodology (See Attached). The Wild Utah Project will participate in training UDWR and NGO biologists to conduct the assessment and will help conduct the "pre-BDA" assessments, to gather data on instream and riparian habitat function, and conditions prior to project implementation. RSRA is a comprehensive method of measuring multiple factors attributing to stream and riparian health, and uses both qualitative and quantitative field indicators that contribute to the final score of stream and riparian health and function. We will complement RSRA monitoring with aerial 3d surveys.

Trout Unlimited Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Private landowners Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Wild Utah Project

Depending upon the rate at which the Beaver Dam Analogs are occupied by beavers, we will work with the landowners and project partners to use volunteers to continue maintenance of the beaver dams to ensure that they have the intended effect.

We expect the project to improve riparian area productivity by enhancing the water table and serving as a local example of rangeland/riparian practices that can be beneficial to livestock, especially if they are paired with livestock management techniques such as off-channel watering and rotational grazing techniques.

07/01/2019

06/30/2020

2020

We completed pre-project Rapid Stream Riparian Assessment (RSRA) on the lower and upper Fish Creek, and Echo Creek. The RSRA is a very quick yet very effective way to look at the stream and riparian health before and after work is completed. You look at the stream corridor and riparian species in three different angles, from a distance, at a selected reach, and within the reach looking at aquatic vegetation, invertebrates, and geomorphology. It can be done in a couple of hours and processed just as quickly instead of days gathering information. We have secured stream alteration permits for Echo Creek, lower Fish Creek, and upper Fish Creek. During August and September of 2019, we completed two volunteer workdays where we installed 18 beaver dam analogs on lower Fish Creek. A secondary component of the Fish Creek effort was to collect detailed streamflow and shallow groundwater data to document subsurface storage and any effects that BDA construction would have on streamflow. The results are posted in the files section. The bottom line is that 18 BDAs had no effect on streamflow, even during construction, and that the shallow groundwater storage increased by approximately 0.6 acre feet. Changes in streamflow were caused more by seasonal events such as rainstorms and changes in evapotranspiration than by BDA construction.

We made great progress advancing both the science and application of Beaver Dam Analog work in the Northern Region with the completion of the projects described above. The most significant challenge for us was the constraint that COVID-19 placed on our implementation efforts. Using the hydraulic pounder requires close contact, and we did not think that we would be able to put sufficient safety protocols in place to protect volunteers. In the upcoming year, we are going to try to hire contractors to place the BDA posts using a small excavator with a vibratory plate where it is practical. We have the necessary permits in place to move forward with projects as soon as practical.

We view this suite of BDA projects as a long-term commitment as many of the BDA's will need to be refreshed over a period of years to ensure that they continue to function as intended. We will continue collecting streamflow, temperature, and shallow groundwater data associated with these projects to ensure that we have a good understanding of how these projects influence water fluxes. We will also continue to monitor using low-level drone imagery.