The Purpose for this project is to: -To mitigate current impact to soils, vegetation, and wetlands adjacent to Snow Lake caused by unauthorized disturbance. -Provide adequate access to recreation opportunities at Snow Lake while protecting resources. The Need for this project is guided by requirements for protection of wetlands, and meeting Forest Plan direction with respect to managing 1) recreation use, 2) the Forest's transportation system, 3) water resources, and 4) vegetation. Specifically, there is a need to:-Contain motorized use and provide adequate parking to mitigate impacts and protect natural resources. -Improve watershed health by improving watershed resistance and resilience.

1) Provide Sustainable Angler/Recreational Access to Snow Lake 2) Naturalize and seed unauthorized disturbance 3) Define a clear access point and mitigate disturbance from short cuts 4) Bring Snow Lake to a pre-disturbance conditions and give the site a better untrammeled appearance

The Manti La Sal National Forest allows forest visitors 150' buffer to park and access recreational opportunities like Snow Lake. At this point there is no authorized routes to Snow Lake and visitors are expected to park within this buffer to access the lake. Untermann's daisy can be present roadside along Skyline Drive around Snow Lake. This project will help avoid impacts to this sensitive plant species by having a clear and defined route to access and to park at Snow Lake. This will discourage forest visitors from driving or parking in locations where this species can be present.

The following goals, desired conditions, and management direction (among others) apply to this proposed action (Manti-La Sal National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan [1986 as amended]): -Develop appropriate facilities where the present facilities are not meeting the demand and where it meets the highest net public benefit. -Design facilities and access to provide site protection, efficient maintenance, and user convenience. -Design and develop sites to ensure that developed capacity meets the anticipated demand

N/A

Pocking, Naturalization and Seeding of disturbed areas will regenerate native vegetation and will reduce erosion into the lake.

NEPA - In process, estimated to be signed in spring 2021. Expected to be implemented late summer/early fall of 2021

-Build Parking Barriers(Log and Block 280ft of barriers) -Establish access road (0.25 miles access $12,750 purchase and haul 420 ton of gravel) -Construct Parking Area(100x150 parking - $10,500 purchase and haul 350 ton of gravel) -Pock, Seed, and Naturalized disturbed areas

Forest staff will monitor the areas to ensure compliance and effectiveness of remediation efforts to disturbed areas.

Utah DWR - Snow lake is a stocked lake

Given the size of the lake, parking for the site should be sufficient for the carrying capacity of the site. Future management will involve monitoring, evaluating, and ensuring the site revegetates properly.

N/A

09/26/2021

09/30/2022

2023

September/October 2021 - Forest Staff construct parking barriers, rehabbed incidental use areas, installed initial water control structures on access route to parking lot, and installed an parking area gate for DWR stocking trucks to access lake. June 2022 - As the snow melted the access routes was graded and gravel installed.

The Snow Lake Restoration project successfully provided sustainable access and restored disturbed areas surround the lake. As the stabilization efforts continue to take hold, this will reduce erosion concerns in this water shed and will provide sustainable recreational use for the area. All on the ground work was completed in FY22 however late USFS bills required that the project be carried over into FY23.

Forest will seed the reclaimed area this fall for continued revegetation of disturbed areas and will monitor the parking area and access route to ensure the treatments continue to protect the watershed at Snow Lake.