The project replaces two culverts, that are undersized and fish migration barriers, in Porter Fork, a tributary to Mill Creek. Replacement of the structures will eliminate the last barriers from the mouth of the canyon upstream to Elbow Fork connecting a mile of stream in Porter Fork and six miles of stream in Mill Creek.

Allow for the free movement of BCT and other aquatic organisms within the Mill Creek drainage and reduce water quality impacts to Salt Lake County. These overarching goals will be further accomplished through the replacement of 2 undersized, outdated and failing culvert systems in Porter Fork. These two culverts are the last of 9 stream/road crossings within the drainage to be replaced. Other work in the larger project includes non-native fish removal, re-introduction of a native suite of fishes, stream bank protections, weir removal, dam removal, bridge replacement and in-stream habitat improvements.

No Action will continue to degrade water quality, deny fish movement into head-water reaches and eventually (likely soon) culverts will fail.

This project improves fish passage as outlined in the 2003 Wasatch-Cache Forest Plan Wasatch Cache Forest Plan - Wasatch Cache National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full It also provide greater longterm persistence for Bonneville cutthroat trout by increasing the accessible stream miles in this populations. This is consistence with the Bonneville Conservation Agreement and Strategy. RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Oncorhynchus clarki utah). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 00-19, Salt Lake City, UT. 2015 Salt Lake County Integrated Watershed Plan Update to the 2009 Salt Lake Countywide Water Quality Stewardship Plan. Published September 2016. Guiding water quality document for Salt Lake County tributaries. Discusses the need to reduce pollutants entering the Jordan River.

Culvert replacements have typically increase the road surface width allowing better access to the upper canyon and improved safety. Both these culverts are on roads that provide the only access in to the WUI.

The project will improve water quality as the channel width at the crossing will be enlarged reducing the tendency to down cut the stream channel and mobilize sediment.

All compliance's are in hand.

Lower culvert is a double 24" round pipe, upper culvert is a single squashed pipe, both will be replaced with a single open bottom arch culvert.

Project will be monitored post implantation for functionality and over time for continued stability. Any repairs will be accomplished by USFS.

Partners in the watershed restoration work in the drainage include: Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, PacifiCorp, Great Salt Lake Council of Boy Scouts of America, Wasatch Legacy Partnership, Utah Council Trout Unlimited, Stonefly Society, Utah Anglers Coalition, Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Conservation Team, National Forest Foundation, Welding Department at Weber Basin Job Core, George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, Richard K. and Shirley S. Hemingway Foundation, and the Utah Habitat Council. -all partners have invested time and money in planning and implementing the Watershed Restoration Project of which this individual project is a near final phase.

New culverts will be monitored post treatment by dedicated FS personnel and repairs will be performed as needed. Expected life is 50 years. The Watershed Restoration Project includes a significant environment education component. This includes educational material on the Mill Creek Dam that was removed, the development of a spawning channel at Tracy Lake and other education material for the public.

Grazing is not allowed in Mill Creek canyon, this drainage is a grass bank.

10/01/2019

07/10/2020

2021

The project replaced two stream crossing in Porter Fork in the Mill Creek Drainage of Salt Lake County. The previous culverts were undersized and preventing fish passage of the native Bonneville cutthroat trout that were restored in the drainage from 2014-1017. The project was implemented through agreement with the National Forest Foundation who managed the contract. The Forest Service provided the local inspector on the work. The stream was pumped around both construction sites so the culvert replacements could be done in a dry stream channel minimizing turbidity and sedimentation. New, larger box culverts were installed and a natural stream bed was established through the site. This project was part of the larger Mill Creek Watershed Restoration Project.

In the fall of 2019 water was diverted around the construction sites. Both culverts were replaced to improve fish flood debris passage. The road surface was reestablished using gravel. In the spring of 2020 the culverts were covered with blacktop to reestablish the road. As part of the contract, a head cut lower in the stream was eliminated. The headcut had started where a weir had been removed as part of an earlier project. The work on the ground was completed by May of 2020 but a final invoice from the USFS after the fiscal year required that the project be carried over into FY21.

The structures will be monitored for stability and fish passage in the future. The homeowner association is responsible for maintenance of the road in coordination with the Forest Service.