Northeast region has a dire need for one 8.5-month seasonal crew lead/project implementation position to assist biologists in sampling high quality, high profile fisheries within the region. This technician will work to sample Blue Ribbon waters that NER biologists have identified as high priority needs. This person will also be responsible for assisting with large-scale CRCT projects to help bring DWR efforts to fruition. Data collected will be utilized in future fisheries management recommendations, such as stocking requirements, regulations/restrictions, and in outreach media and events as a proponent of these waters. This position may also be utilized to facilitate improvements of Blue Ribbon waters, such as habitat enhancements, trophy fish spawning and management, take part in publicizing Blue Ribbon sponsored waters, or mitigate access issues (e.g., fence crossings illegally placed no-trespassing signs). Specifics- Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Green River tailrace assistance needs include Kokanee monitoring, Burbot netting, Lake Trout netting, Hydroaccoustic sampling, Smallmouth Bass electrofishing/monitoring. Pelican Lake needs include assisting with Pelican lake fish diet studies, habitat structure planning, facilities/maintenance planning and implementation, and rotenone restoration project. Additionally this tech will take a lead role in sedimentation control at Pelican Lake. Starvation Reservoir needs include assisting with Fall Walleye Index Nettings, perch/forage surveys, angler contacts, walleye tagging/population estimate efforts, and walleye spawn prep and detail in April. This person will also be utilized in spawning efforts for CRCT in Lake Canyon and Sheep Creek Lake. This person will be used to assist with fish health and disease monitoring at several areas identified by Division biologists, including the Duchesne River drainage. Additional High Uinta Mountain Lakes surveys have been identified as a high priority by Division Staff and Blue Ribbon Council members. This person will be responsible for independent and/or team work to survey High Uinta Mountain Lakes and streams for not less than 1.5 months. Survey work will include gathering fishery data, as well as hydrology and bathymetry data; some work will be in prep for future CRCT restoration planning. This person may also help out with the walleye spawn on Willard Bay, which heavily relies on personnel time to accomplish said task. Currently, other regions (Central, Southern) have staff funded by and devoted to sampling Blue Ribbon waters. Northeast Region received funding for this proposal in FY17 and 19. In years we did not receive funding for this proposal it has cost us major consequences for future fisheries management in Northeast Region in terms of gathering accurate data, executing work plans, and taking part in active fisheries management. Without this support, our current sportfish staff is strapped with other projects to be able to accomplish above surveys and fisheries management actions. Many of the identified activities above are externally-desired intensive efforts in some of Utah's most popular Blue Ribbon areas/waters. While a Blue Ribbon biologist would be able to accomplish more in a given year, we recognize funding limitations, and feel this is a good compromise to help alleviate work load. In addition to much needed assistance with Flaming Gorge netting surveys and sampling, this position assisted elsewhere in the region by monitoring and trapping problem beaver in Sheep Creek Lake that threatened the integrity of our canal; conducted dozens of bathymetry studies in lakes of the High Uintas; conducted fishery netting surveys on dozens of lakes in the High Uintas; compiled historic data on several High Uintas lakes for information updating and future brochure publication; assisted with cutthroat trout spawning activities, successfully installed whirling disease & prevention angler awareness signs on the Strawberry River, Currant Creek, and West Fork Duchesne River, which is now present in all three drainages; conducted several small stream surveys to determine CRCT abundance and distribution extent within the High Uintas; completed walks within the Strawberry and Duchesne Rivers to identify problematic areas for angler access (i.e., illegal no trespass signs, impassible barbed wire crossings, stile needs, signing angler access parking lots).

With regard to Blue Ribbon waters and BRFAC objectives: 1. Position will help lead field activities to sample key waters/ habitats 2. Gain vital information to high profile waters 3. Identify waters that currently meet or may be enhanced to meet BRFAC guidelines to be listed as a Blue Ribbon water 4. Implement management recommendations, such as fish removal efforts, fish stocking, or habitat modifications 5. Assisting biologists with necessary signing improvements to facilitate or educate anglers with the resource 6. Be a proponent of Blue Ribbon waters for: a. better program recognition, b. greater public involvement in fishing by utilizing popular, productive fisheries, c. when appropriate, participate in outreach programs or ideas to promote the Blue Ribbon program, d. protect, enhance, or restore legal public access to these fisheries

Threats addressed include inadequate information on all NER waters, and an inability to execute management plans and fisheries management actions that rely on staff to complete. Specific threats are related to management actions that this position is able to staff if funded; or not able to fulfill due to inadequate seasonal funding in the Northeast Region.

Fulfill sampling, survey and active management obligations of the: -Conservation Strategy for Colorado River Cutthroat Trout -Strategic fisheries sampling plan for standing waters in the Northeast Region, Utah -Strategic fisheries sampling plan for streams and rivers in the Northeast Region, Utah Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council handbook -Red Fleet reservoir fisheries management plan -Flaming Gorge fisheries management plan -Steinaker reservoir fisheries management plan -Pelican Lake fisheries management plan -Starvation reservoir fisheries management plan -Utah Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) (criteria that identifies state sensitive species [including aquatic species] and actions needed to conserve those species)

This position will not have direct impacts to fire and fuels management other than through participation in other WRI projects involving stream and riparian enhancement, which can be stated to serve as fire breaks.

Water quality may be enhanced by participation in UDWR stream habitat restoration projects; hired personnel may monitor water quality to include temperature and water sample collection on occasion. Water quantity may be monitored with hired personnel to ensure persistence of UDWR water rights, and identify corrective actions, if applicable, where DWR water right needs protection

Not applicable. No federal, state, or tribal law will need to be fulfilled in advance of or after this project. Individual project compliance will be evaluated with each project that this person will participate in; however, most projects already have compliance evaluations in place through entry into the WRI system and/or other NEPA requirements as fulfilled through federal aid reports.

Technician labor will be used to accomplish above tasks of monitoring, enhancing, identifying, advertising/outreach with Blue Ribbon waters. Labor will include assisting with surveys, habitat enhancement projects, and assistance with outreach events.

Not applicable for this project. NER aquatics biologists will annually critique and discuss project success as applicable to 1. Blue Ribbon projects 2. NER UDWR goals of managing fishery resources in the region

May assist Partners in accomplishing goals as applicable to BRFAC objectives of providing quality fishery resources, and data that our Partners can use in their program directives. Partners who will benefit from increased exposure of the Blue Ribbon program include: Bureau of Land Management (Pelican Lake, West Willow Creek), US Forest Service (Ashley National Forest & Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest) (Green River tailrace, Flaming Gorge reservoir, Sheep Creek drainage, High Uinta Mountain lakes, Duchesne River drainage, Currant Creek, Currant Creek Reservoir), Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation (Red Fleet Reservoir, Steinaker Reservoir, Starvation Reservoir). Additionally, the person in this position will have the opportunity to work extensively with the Trout Unlimited biologist residing in the Uinta basin. The Trout Unlimited biologist duties cross lines between DWR and our non-profit partners and provide new open door opportunities when it comes to fisheries management, which participation and assistance from this position will be crucial to meeting both programs' objectives.

Continue to evaluate the effectiveness of this project at end of each calendar year to determine propriety to apply for project continuation into following calendar year. Future fisheries management will be improved by increased data leading to more appropriate management actions and decisions, while permanent actions such as habitat enhancements will reap perpetual benefits. Thus far this project has been funded twice, and the benefits to receiving this funding cannot be overstated.

This position will take part in natural resources sustainable use practices through a variety of modem: 1. Ensure healthy compliance of grazing around DWR lands to ensure resources are used in a sustainable manner. 2. Through participation in outreach, whether through formal events or informal interdictions in the field, this person has the opportunity to train and educate members of the public. Education may often focus on fishing techniques because of the common setting that this person will find themselves (on the boat ramp or in the creek), but the position will be in an opportunity to discuss other outdoors activities that we attempt to get the public involved in, whether that be camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife watching, etc.

08/17/2020

05/14/2021

2021

UDWR aquatics staff hire, trained and supervised a wildlife tech II, full time for 9 months in fiscal year 2021. This technician was hired to work directly with Natalie Boren and Skylar Wolf (FES Research Biologist) on the Starvation Bioenergetics project. This was a 1 year, labor intensive project where diet collections, data entry, data analysis and research were a key part of this technician's job. This technician also helped with other programs and on other NER blue ribbon waters as the schedule allowed. This BR technician was a critical component of competing this work on Starvation Reservoir, and with his help we are ready to publish some great research on both Smallmouth Bass and Walleye in Utah.

This BRFC tech position was designed to help regional biologists complete critical fieldwork in the NER related to Blue Ribbon Fisheries. This technician is generally hired as a Tech II position, works more independently and is tasked with more responsibility to the program. The position is a 9 month term position with no benefits. More specific tasks include: leading gillnet surveys, diet collections, assisting with electrofishing surveys, data entry, data analysis and assisting with report writing. This person works directly for either the regional reservoir biologist or the regional CRCT biologist.

Depending on each years work load, The decision by regional staff to submit this proposal will change. In years of critical need the region may elect to try for BRFC funds to hire this technician.