Newfoundland Mtns Water Improvement FY20
|
Project ID: 4842
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2020
Submitted By:
291
|
Project Manager: Jace Taylor
PM Agency: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
PM Office: Utah Field Office
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northern
|
|
Description:
Maintenance and repairs to two water sources on the Newfoundland Mtns, as well as installation of three new water sources, to increase availability of free water for bighorn sheep, chukars, and other wildlife.
|
|
|
Location:
Newfoundland Mountain Range in western Box Elder County
|
|
Project Need
Need For Project:
Wildlife on the Newfoundland Mountains are highly dependent on free water during drought conditions. The guzzlers at Big Pass and the "bathtub" spring are critically important springs on this range, and both are not functioning to their potential because of damages to man-made improvements. By making simple repairs we will be able to increase the amount of free water available to the bighorn sheep and other wildlife inhabiting the Newfoundland Mountains. This particular bighorn sheep herd is one of the few herds in the state that is free of the most concerning pathogen causing respiratory disease in bighorn sheep. It may serve as a critical source herd to other population in the future.
Objectives:
Repair the guzzlers at Big Pass to resolve the loss of water from the apron system.
Repair the drinker at the "Bathtub" spring to resolve the loss of water from the catchment.
Install two big game and 1 small game guzzler on the southern half of the mountain range.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
None
Relation To Management Plan:
Utah Bighorn Sheep Statewide Management Plan
Habitat Goals - f. Improve or maintain existing water sources and develop new water sources as needed to improve distribution and abundance of bighorn sheep.
Completion of this project will increase the carrying capacity of the mountain range which will help the DWR achieve the population objective outlined in the bighorn sheep unit management plan.
Fire / Fuels:
None
Water Quality/Quantity:
Water quantity will be increased.
Water quality may be improved by distributing bighorn sheep to more water sources.
Compliance:
Repairs to existing structures will not increase disturbance footprint.
Compliance will be completed according to the directive of the land management agencies where the water sources occur (SITLA & BLM).
Methods:
Repair the apron and apron piping system at the guzzlers at Big Pass.
Replace the catchment and drinker at the "bathtub" spring. Replace springbox and pipeline to the "bathtub" drinker.
Install 3 wildlife guzzlers.
Monitoring:
We will regularly check these water sources and make additional repairs as needed.
Cameras will be installed to all 5 water sources.
Collared bighorns will continue to be monitored for movement patters to and from springs.
Partners:
Utah Wild Sheep Foundation
Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
Utah Chukar & Wildlife Foundation
SITLA
BLM
Future Management:
Our goal is to maintain these water sources so that they will continue to be valuable to the bighorn sheep, chukars, and other wildlife in the area.
If other water sources merit improvement, they will be evaluated for improvements as well.
Juniper removal from the drainage's above these water sources may be used as well to increase spring flows.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
As long as these water sources are maintained, then they will continue to provide valuable water to all wildlife species in the area.
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $29,250.00 | $0.00 | $29,250.00 | $3,000.00 | $32,250.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials and Supplies | Purchase of two Boss Tank Guzzlers and collection aprons | $13,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Materials and Supplies | Supplies to repair apron system, piping, and drinkers to two water sources. | $3,250.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Equipment Rental/Use | Mini excavator | $4,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Materials and Supplies | Remote cameras for future monitoring at bathtub and two new big game guzzlers. | $1,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Materials and Supplies | Upland game guzzler and apron | $2,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Contractual Services | Contract helicopter to fly in 2 big game guzzlers. | $5,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 |
| Contractual Services | Installation of guzzlers and collection aprons from sportsmen groups | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | 2020 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $29,250.00 | $0.00 | $29,250.00 | $0.00 | $29,250.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat Council Account | HCRF | $15,392.81 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2019 | |
| Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) | NS6527 | $1,806.59 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2019 | |
| Utah Wild Sheep Foundation | $2,318.41 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 | ||
| National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) | S024 | $1,123.81 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 | |
| Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) | S027 | $2,318.41 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 | |
| Utah Archery Association | S052 | $1,123.81 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 | |
| Habitat Council Account | QHCR | $1,607.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2020 | |
| Utah Wild Sheep Foundation | NS6522 | $1,806.59 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2019 | |
| National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) | NS6524 | $876.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2019 | |
| Utah Archery Association | NS6552 | $876.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2019 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bighorn Sheep | N4 | R2 | ||||
|
||||||
| Black-tailed Jackrabbit | ||||||
|
||||||
| Chukar | R3 | |||||
|
||||||
| Golden Eagle | N5 | |||||
|
||||||
| Mule Deer | R1 | |||||
|
||||||
| Mule Deer | R1 | |||||
|
||||||
Habitats
| Habitat |
|---|
Project Comments
| Comment | 08/18/2020 | Type: 2 | Commenter: Alison Whittaker |
| This is just a reminder that completion reports are due August 31st. I have entered the expenses in the Through WRI/DWR column on the finance page. Please do not make any changes to numbers in the Through WRI/DWR column. Any "Through Other" or "In-kind" expenses will need to be entered by the PM or contributors. Be sure to click on the finalize button on the completion report when you have your completion report ready to be reviewed by WRI Admin. Don't forget to upload any pictures of the project you have of before, during and after completion. Thanks. | |||
| Comment | 09/01/2020 | Type: 2 | Commenter: Alison Whittaker |
| Thank you for submitting your completion form on time. It looks great. Thanks for uploading pictures! | |||
Completion
Start Date:
01/08/2019
End Date:
06/21/2019
FY Implemented:
2019
Final Methods:
This project was designed to crete additional water sources for the bighorn sheep on the Newfoundland Mountain range. After the sites were selected using collar data and finding suitable topography the DWR archaeologist and biologist hiked into the sites to perform the required clearance. Guzzlers and materials were purchased through appropriate state best value contracts. UHP was hired to fly the guzzlers and materials in to the locations.
DWR habitat staff transported all the required materials to the staging site where UHP pilot Luke Bowman meet us.
Volunteers from the dedicated hunter program and Utah Wild Sheep Foundation joined for the day to help place the guzzlers and construct the aprons.
Once the tanks, materials, staff and volunteers were on site the tanks were leveled and aprons constructed. Each big game guzzler had a camera placed on it along with a mineral block.
Project Narrative:
Due to the remote location and restricted airspace the logistics of pulling off this project were complicated. The restricted airspace lead to the flights being rescheduled several times and having to complete them within a tight window.
One truck and trailer got stuck and had to be recovered a couple days later once the mud dried.
But the employees and volunteers who showed up for the install day worked extremely hard to get everything done in one long day.
Future Management:
To monitor the cameras and collars to document sheep using the new guzzlers. Maintain these and other guzzlers as needed.
To continue to install guzzlers in the "water voids" of the mountain range to distribute sheep and reduce stress on the habitat.
If these guzzlers prove to not hold water throughout the summer we will fly in additional apron materials and expand the apron size.
Map Features
N/A
Project Map
N/A