The east dike of Ogden Bay WMA is the end of Weber River. The east dike essentially holds the river back so that the water can be diverted to North Run, Middle Run, or South Run. Over the years there has been a lot of erosion on this dike. The high run-off years of 2011 and 2017 increased erosion and is contributing to an immediate future failure of this dike. The erosion to this dike is effecting the safety of managers driving this dike. The erosion has impeded into the track of the road in several places making this a safety issue.

The objectives of this project will be to rebuild the dike and improve the integrity so that water management can continue the same way well into the future. Large cobble will need to be purchased and delivered to OBWMA. Then the contractor will need to haul it in a dump truck a load at a time and place it appropriately. A track hoe place the cobble as they go. On top of the cobble, we will want dirt fill hauled in and placed on top of the rock to fill up the space. The rock shall be placed as high as the high water mark for erosion prevention. The road shall be expanded 3 feet on top and will be at a 3:1 slope. So there could be 9 feet of cobble extending into the river/ linear foot.

This dike is THE most important dike at Ogden Bay WMA. This dike makes water management happen on the area. All of the modern infrastructure that was constructed in 2013 will be unusable if the dike fails. If the dike and infrastructure aren't functional, then the wetland can't be managed. A wetland that can't be managed on these "managed" areas, will become unproductive and will likely become inundated with Phragmites.

The proposed project meets the objectives in our Habitat management plans. Also the proposed project meets objectives in the WAP such as: Other Ecosystem Modifications Objective #2 for Other Ecosystem Modifications Land management agencies and agents develop vegetation management projects that avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to species and habitats identified as vulnerable to these threats such as brush eradication. Habitat modification and loss is being mitigated by perennial plantings, food plots and shrub rows. Objective #1 for Sediment Transport Imbalance Opportunities are found and taken, to modify or remove reservoir infrastructure, or modify outflow management, to simulate or return natural sediment transport. The continual build-up of sediments in GSL wetlands is a major problem that can lead to decreased open water areas, shallower water depths that do not maximize the production of submerged aquatic vegetation, and promotes invasive plant species. The WMA's management relies on channels and water control structures that can be used to help pass through unwanted sediments and maintain a highly diverse and functional wetland. Objective #1 for Droughts Terrestrial SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions. Drought condition over that past several years has reduced the resilience of highly functional upland habitats. In order to maintain, and rehabilitate these upland habitats, renovation and reseeding is necessary in order to minimize the impacts of drought. Actions that this project will address include; Objective #2 for Droughts Aquatic SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions. Drought conditions over the past several years has made it imperative that the WMA's have properly functioning water control structures to maximize water deliveries in order to maintain key wetland habitats. Actions that this project will address include; 2.3.6 Restore aquatic habitat complexity 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings.

N/A

The water quality along the dike is definitely turbid from all of the erosion that is occurring daily. The quantity of water distributed throughout the WMA will definitely change is this dike fails.

This is a maintenance project only. The original footprint of the dike will be re-established, but not exceeded. The UDWR state Archaeologist will be consulted on the project.

The waterfowl maintenance crew will do this project next February or March when the water is low. There are several piles of dirt around Ogden Bay WMA that will be used to build up the dike (extend it back out 6-8 feet). The dirt will be hauled, dumped and shaped along the dike. Once the dike is built back up, 2'-4' boulders will be placed on the face of the newly shaped dike up to the high water mark. The boulders will prevent future erosion. Once the dike is rebuilt, the top will be graveled. This should make the dike much more solid than it ever was.

The dike will be monitored every time that it is driven.

SFW

It will be graded several times each year and will be maintained.

This proposed action will allow managers to continue to manage Ogden Bay WMA as it currently is being managed. This will allow continued waterfowl hunting and will allow for the amazing habitat and continued bird use that we are currently experiencing.

07/01/2018

06/30/2019

2019

The rock was all delivered by Parsons and the Waterfowl maintenance crew placed the rock and rebuilt the dike. They built the dike out an additional 10+ feet and then lined the new extension of the dike with very large landscape boulders, to prevent future erosion.

This project was essential to the future management of Ogden Bay WMA. There was so much erosion occurring on this dike, that I had to close it to vehicles this spring. This dike is essential to ALL water management that occurs at Ogden Bay, so it was very critical to get it done. The maintenance crew did a great job of hauling stock piled dirt to rebuild the dike. Once the dike was extended to it's desired location, 2'-4' boulders were hauled in and placed to prevent any future erosion.

The area will be monitored in the future to ensure that no erosion is occurring. This fall, we will seed the extended area of the dike to get some vegetation established on it.