This stretch of the river is largely channelized between artificial levees that were built in conjunction with the construction of I-84 around 1970. Part of it was also dredged in response to the floods of 1983 and 2011. This channelization constrains the natural flow of the river and limits the value of the river for aquatic and riparian habitat. In particular, two native fish, the bluehead sucker and the Bonneville cutthroat trout have been affected. Fish counts in the Weber River show a decline in the bluehead sucker population from 2009-2015, with only an estimated 150 individuals surviving in the stretch from Weber Canyon to Ogden. Of the adult blueheads measured, most were between 15 and 20 years old, nearing the maximum recorded lifespan of 29 years. A USU study completed in 2017 confirmed that the bluehead sucker in the Weber River are suffering from a recruitment bottleneck. The study states that "Restoring habitat for the critical life stages of spawning and rearing bluehead sucker could eliminate the confirmed recruitment bottleneck. Together, the spawning and rearing habitat portions of this study established habitat characteristics associated with bluehead sucker and identified pools, gravel, and cobble as being important. Rearing habitat appears to be limited by the availability of deep, slow backwaters within the optimal temperature range, which was cooler than predicted." This project presents a unique opportunity to actually create new habitat for the bluehead sucker on the lower Weber River. There are few other locations with undeveloped property suitable for stream reconfiguration, but this site has more than enough room to create a side channel that would provide the deep, slow backwaters necessary for juvenile bluehead sucker survival. The need for this project is urgent, as the bluehead sucker population is declining and aging fast, and it is in danger of being listed as an Endangered Species. The Bonneville cutthroat trout is not in such serious trouble yet, but it would also benefit from improved spawning and rearing habitat.

The feasibility study has identified areas of the property that could be improved significantly to benefit native fish such as the bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout, as well as provide benefits for other game and non-game species. The objectives of this phase of the project are: 1. To remove and reconfigure the spoil heaps left from unauthorized dredging during the floods of 1983 and 2011. This will allow the floodplain to be widened, increasing the carrying capacity of the river and providing an area in which riparian vegetation can be established. 2. To restore and improve the riffles that were damaged by dredging, creating better aquatic habitat and reconnecting the overflow channels that used to run during high water but have remained almost dry since 2011. Allowing these channels to flow again when needed will provide additional flood mitigation benefits. 3. To create a new slow-moving, deepwater channel roughly paralleling the river. The new channel will be designed to provide ideal habitat for juvenile bluehead sucker, ameliorating the recruitment bottleneck that currently affects this species on the Weber River and helping to keep it from being listed as an Endangered Species. 4. To augment the sparse riparian vegetation on site, creating a canopy that will partially shade the water surface, resulting in lower temperatures beneficial to the survival and growth of juvenile fish and creating better habitat for the production of aquatic invertebrates. 5. To begin improving the upland habitat of the site. Most of the property is too high and dry to support riparian vegetation, and it has become dominated by cheatgrass, along with invasive forbs such as Scotch thistle and viper's bugloss, a state Class 1B (early detection rapid response) noxious weed. However, the land has the potential to be returned to something resembling the native sagebrush prairie, with a greater proportion of desirable species, which will benefit the local herd of mule deer as well as other upland species. The objective of this phase is to kill noxious weeds wherever they are found on site, and to control cheatgrass in selected areas, which will then be planted with native shrubs and seeded with desirable grasses and forbs. Successful treatments will be replicated over the rest of the site in future years. In addition, future phases of the project will have the following objectives: 6. To complete the Weber River Parkway, which will connect to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Davis and Weber Counties and include a 10-foot wide trail, providing for angler access and public recreation and non-motorized transportation. 7. To periodically fill an old gravel pit (the "Dog Pond") with water for the purpose of groundwater recharge. This aspect of the project would have the additional benefit of creating three acres of wetland and shallow-water habitat, benefiting waterfowl species such as ducks and geese.

The Weber River is home to several imperiled native fish species, including the bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout. Restoration of this stretch of the river will provide a unique opportunity to create and enhance the habitat for these aquatic species, as well as establish riparian flora and fauna on a site that is now mostly barren. The bluehead sucker populations in the Weber River and Snake River basins have been shown to be genetically distinct from the populations in the Colorado River basin. If the Weber River population is declared to be a separate species, it will increase the urgency of measures to slow and reverse the current population decline. The bluehead sucker here is suffering from a juvenile rearing bottleneck, and the creation of improved habitat may significantly increase the survival of juvenile fish. Thus this project has the potential to help keep the bluehead sucker from being listed as an Endangered Species. It will also benefit the imperiled Bonneville cutthroat trout, and the proposed riffle and riparian enhancements will increase the production of macroinvertebrates.

This project is part of a large-scale restoration plan along the reach of the Lower Weber River. It occurs within the Ogden River--Cottonwood Creek reach of the Weber River, which has been highly degraded and modified, negatively affecting macroinvertebrates. This is a core area of bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat, two species that have been identified as indicators of success in the 2014 Weber River Restoration Plan. That plan identified past and current habitat loss due to channelization and flood control actions as a high threat within the Lower Weber River. The Lower Weber River Watershed Plan, commissioned by Ogden City, describes the river between the mouth of Weber Canyon and the confluence with the Ogden River as "a significant stronghold for bluehead sucker." The report goes on to state that historic flood overflow channels have been filled in or disconnected from the river, resulting in an unstable river channel that no longer functions naturally. "Water quality degradations and habitat alterations have likely diminished the health of the fishery," and stream restoration projects could improve bluehead sucker rearing habitat and benefit macroinvertebrates. The report recommends "improvement of the natural characteristics of the channel by removing levees, digging side channels, and improving riparian conditions." By removing spoil piles, creating a new side channel, and enhancing riparian habitat, this project will achieve all three of these objectives. The 2017 Western Weber County Resource Management Plan recommends the protection of "the Weber River floodplain, wetland areas associated with the meander corridor, and streamside vegetation." It also recommends providing "habitat for plant communities, wildlife, and fisheries," including "unique ecological communities for rare, threatened or endangered species." This project accomplishes all of these objectives, setting aside a mile of the river that will be protected from development as well as improving the habitat for imperiled species such as the bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout. The Utah Division of Water Quality has identified hydromodification as a key feature of the degradation of Weber River habitat. This project will take steps to reverse this hydromodification, and a similar project was identified in 2004 under a proposal to the Army Corps of Engineers Section 206 ecosystem restoration program. The entire program was never funded, but that proposal has been maintained with the Corps. The State of Utah Resource Management Plan recommends the mitigation of hazardous wildfire fuels, proactive management of noxious weeds and revegetation of treated areas, restoring floodplain connectivity and critical habitat for sensitive species, maintaining Utah's natural diversity in fish species, and the protection of water quality for recreation and aquatic wildlife, among other uses. By replacing cheatgrass with firewise vegetation, reconnecting the floodplain, and improving the aquatic conditions for bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout, this project accomplishes all of these objectives. This project occurs within the Ogden River - Cottonwood Creek reach of the Weber River which has been highly degraded and modified, which has negatively affected macroinvertebrates. This project will take steps to reverse the hydromodification identified by the Utah Division of Water Quality. This project was identified in 2004 under a proposal to the Army Corps of Engineers section 206 ecosystem restoration program. The entire program was never funded, but we have maintained this proposal with the Corps. We will continue to prioritize this action as we begin developing designs. The Utah State and Western Weber County Resource Management Plans have identified the preservation and enhancement of rivers and floodplains as important objectives to consider when planning projects. Additionally, wetlands and riparian areas have been identified as key resources to provide both environmental and economic benefits to Utah communities. Recreation has also been called out as essential to Utah ecological and economic vitality into the future. This project addresses these RMP objectives and also will help to bring the community together around this rare resource, the River.

Fanned by canyon winds, a fire that started upstream in September 2017 spread quickly through the property and reached several miles downstream. Long-term management plans include reduction of cheatgrass in the upland areas of the property and planting of more desirable, firewise grasses and forbs that will decrease the rapidity of fire spread.

This project has the potential to protect vested water rights and water supplies by helping to prevent an Endangered Species listing for the bluehead sucker, which could create restrictions on the timing and quantity of diversions from the river. The Weber Basin Water Conservancy has stated that it is a priority to avoid such a listing. By creating a more natural floodplain and streambank profile, the project will also increase the river's ability to accommodate and absorb floodwaters, reducing the flooding risk to neighboring properties, and the establishment of riparian vegetation will reduce the amount of sediment currently eroded from raw banks during high water events.

A stream alteration permit and 404 permit will be obtained. A cultural resource assessment has determined that there are no resources in the affected area. Due to the location of this project, we will also work with Davis and Weber Counties FEMA coordinators to ensure that any proposed actions do not affect flood levels.

Construction will commence during low water (late summer through winter). The project objectives will be achieved using the following methods: 1. Excavating equipment will be used to remove spoil heaps and recontour the near flood plain. Excess material will be piled up at the edge of the floodplain to provide the base for a non-motorized pathway to be built in later phases of the project. No material will be trucked in or hauled offsite. 2. The same equipment will be used to place carefully selected native material in the mainstem of the river to restore its natural profile and the function of the riffles. There is an abundance of gravel, cobbles, and rocks onsite that may be suitable for this purpose. 3. Heavy equipment will also be used to dig a new side channel following one of the old, pre-1946 river courses. The depth and slope configuration will be designed to create the optimum habitat for bluehead sucker and other native fish. 4. River and channel banks will be stabilized with pole plantings of coyote willow cuttings using a method that was very successful on another piece of Weber Pathways property a few miles downstream. Seedlings of native woody plants such as cottonwood and green ash will be planted in locations where the water table is sufficiently high. The lower Weber River is home to a natural hybrid between the narrowleaf cottonwood and the Fremont cottonwood, and there may be an opportunity to reintroduce some of these unique hybrid trees to this site. 5. Noxious forbs such as viper's bugloss and Scotch thistle will be sprayed with herbicide in the spring or early summer. Large plants that are nearing bloom will be hand dug and destroyed as necessary. Selected areas of cheatgrass will be sprayed with herbicide while actively growing or treated with a pre-emergent. A mix of sagebrush, desirable grasses, and native forbs such as blue flax will then be seeded. Seedlings of native woody plants such as scrub oak and golden currant will be planted in favorable locations where there is enough depth of soil and protection from the canyon winds.

Weber Pathways currently monitors parts of the Weber River Parkway on a regular basis, to identify hazards and eliminate noxious weeds. These efforts by Weber Pathways personnel will be extended to this stretch of the river after completion of construction, with the aid of an Americorps intern in the summer of 2019 and 2020.

-Weber Pathways: Primary landowner, non-profit organization that builds and maintains trails in the Ogden area. -Weber Basin Water Conservancy District: Conversations are underway to determine the feasibility of using part of the site as an aquifer recharge area. -Weber River Cooperative Weed Management Area: Weber Pathways has worked with the CWMA for many years to combat noxious weeds along the trails. -Trout Unlimited: Has partnered with Weber Pathways and the UDWR to create other sections of the Weber River Parkway and is a contributor to this project. -Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: Additional landowner, has partnered with Weber Pathways for many years to create the Weber River Parkway. -UDOT: Additional landowner, has been involved for many years in the plans to complete the Weber River Parkway.

Over the long term, the site will be monitored for unexpected erosion, flood damage, and noxious weeds, and the appropriate corrections will be undertaken. Disturbed areas will be reclaimed with native and firewise species of grasses and forbs. An AmeriCorps intern will be helping to control weeds on the property during the summer of 2019 and to get plants established during the summer of 2020, as well as treat residual weeds.

The project is being planned to accommodate the potential diversion of Weber Basin Water Conservancy water into one of the overflow channels leading to an old gravel pit on site, for the purpose of infiltration and groundwater recharge. This low-lying area used to flood in high runoff years, creating a short-lived seasonal pond (the "Dog Pond"). In this way the project could lead to the sustainable storage of water supplies as well as the creation of three acres of wetland habitat. The project site is currently accessed from South Weber's Fisherman's Point Trailhead by a primitive single-track trail used by anglers. This project will enhance opportunities for angling by improving fish habitat. Future phases are envisioned to include a 10-foot wide non-motorized public pathway and a bridge to the Uintah Springs Business Park on the north bank. This pathway and bridge will be a vital link in the connection of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Weber River parkway, and Centennial Trail loop, enhancing the community's opportunities for transportation and recreation by foot, bicycle, and horse, as well as providing a place for wildlife viewing.

09/01/2020

06/30/2021

2021

Redoubt Restoration was hired to excavate a new side channel, using a trackhoe and other large machinery. The new channel is almost 700 feet long, with four side pockets, and it connects to the main stem of the Weber River at both ends. Large logs and boulders were installed at certain locations to control the grade of the channel and create riffles and pools. The new stream banks and surrounding disturbed areas were seeded with a mix of grasses and forbs and then hydromulched in late fall. In the spring of 2021, the edges of the channel were also planted with native shrub seedlings and pole cuttings of Fremont cottonwood and coyote willow.

This project is part of an effort to improve and re-create aquatic habitat in this stretch of the Weber River, specifically to provide places where the hatchlings of bluehead sucker and Bonneville cutthroat trout can survive and mature to a viable size. The intention is to replenish the decreasing and aging population of bluehead sucker on the lower Weber River and keep it from being listed as threatened or endangered. Seed germination has been rather poor this year, because of the dry, stony soil and extreme drought conditions, but otherwise the project has turned out to be a great success. The channel has been functioning exactly as designed, in both low and high water, and it has already been colonized by various aquatic plants. More than 75 percent of the coyote willow cuttings and woolly sedge plugs have survived and established. Thousands of 1/2-inch long fish were seen in the new channel in June 2021, especially in the "side pocket" backwaters. It is too early to tell what species they are, but their presence is a good sign.

The Trails Foundation of Northern Utah (formerly known as Weber Pathways) and Trout Unlimited are continuing to monitor the site on a weekly basis, watering the tree and shrub seedlings as necessary and removing noxious weeds such as Scotch thistle. This ongoing maintenance will continue until the riparian vegetation has been established.