Water quantity is a limiting factor for any future wetland development projects on Salt Creek WMA. Water flows through Salt Creek WMA and provides a significant source of water for the maintenance of Public Shooting Grounds WMA (PSGWMA). Any water diverted limits available water down stream for use on PSGWMA. Diversion of water for private use also limits potential use of available water for future development or current maintenance of existing wetlands down stream from Salt Creek WMA. In most years, it is necessary to dry out areas of wetlands. This can have negative effects of reduced food production and reduced vegetative growth, and positive effects of increased solidification of pond sediments and increased production of annual plants that can facilitate invertebrate blooms when re-flooded. Additionally, the purchase of the Jensen property (in closing stage) between Salt Creek and Public Shooting Grounds holds the potential for wetland development if water is available.

Purchase water shares from the Bear River Canal Company to meet the needs of current wetland habitats on SCWMA & PSGWMA in order to maintain healthy and productive wetlands. Expand wetland habitats on the newly purchased Jensen property and expand upland habitat work such as irrigated food plots, shrub rows, and native perennial plantings.

The threats and risks to SC and PSG WMA's includes increased drought, lack of sufficient water to maintain productive, high quality, wetland and upland habitat, a shift in wetland and upland plant communities and and increase in fuel loads and fire frequency. Insufficient water has forced managers to completely dry out specific wetland units/impoundment each year in order to maintain appropriate water levels in other areas of the marsh. Although drying out wetlands does have it's advantages, doing so on a regular basis could shift the plant community and make them less productive. In addition, wetland areas between PSGWMA and the Bear River Bird Refuge go dry every year.

Salt Creek and Public HMP: Purpose - protect and enhance the wetlands and associated uplands. Both HMP's point out that additional water should be acquired when ever possible. The WMA has potential for additional development, but water quantity is fully allocated for current management operations. WAP: 2.2.4 Contain established populations of invasive/problematic species 2.2.9 Avoid establishment of new invasive/problematic species through education, planning, management, and/or regulation. 2.3.6 Restore aquatic habitat complexity. 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. The WAP has identified these as possible actions to take to deal with invasive plants and drought conditions. Increased water quantity at SC and PSG WMA's would help facilitate implementation of these actions.

Insufficient water and drought conditions has led to increased fire and fuels on SC and PSG WMA's. Mostly, from annual grasses such as cheat, bulbous bluegrass, jointed goats grass, and annual rye. Currently, managers renovate and re-seed approximately 100-150 acres/year in order to establish native perennial grasses and forbs. However, drought conditions and lack of precipitation has made these efforts more difficult. Purchasing more water could allow managers the ability to water some of these perennial plantings making these uplands more productive, reducing fuel loads from annual grasses.

Water quantity would be increased with these water shares. Managers will have the ability to increase wetland acreage and enhance uplands through irrigation.

Not applicable

Purchase water shares through Bear River Canal Company. Work with the canal company on delivery of water shares.

Closely monitoring water levels is an important strategy for wetland managers. Water levels throughout SC and PSG WMA's are already closely monitored in order to maintain and produce high quality wetland habitats. This will continue,

Bear River Canal Company

Future management should consist of pursuing extra water shares and water rights for SC and PSG WMA. There is a number of areas where wetland development could take place. Managers will continue to asses wetland conditions and water availability and make decisions, on a annual basis, as to where and when to flood areas. These decisions are based on when and where high quality habitats have been produced in the past, shifts in plant communities, and which areas would benefit public user groups.

These water shares will help to protect and enhance the wetland and upland resources that SC and PSG WMA's have to offer. Recreational use of these WMA's is increasing drastically. Waterfowl hunter use has increased from hunters moving from their traditional hunting areas in order to avoid crowds. Public Shooting Grounds has seen an increase in waterfowl hunters over the past two years due to the recent re-zoning of the Tundra Swan boundary. In addition, the DWR's pheasant release program has increased the number of pheasant hunters on both WMA's.

02/01/2021

02/15/2021

2021

DWR finalized the purchase of 22.03 shares of Bear River Canal Company.

The new shares will be used on new ground within the Salt Creek WMA.

Continued use of the water to increase the vegetation for wildlife.