Strawberry Reservoir is Utah's most important cold water fishery, receiving as much as 1.4 million angler hours on an annual basis. Typically 65% of this pressure is from boat and small watercraft. 65% of all anglers in Utah fish Strawberry on an annual basis. Crowding at access points is often an issue. The entire North end of the reservoir along Hwy 40 is only accessible to small boats and hand-launched water craft at a couple of undeveloped (and risky) launch sites along the old highway roadbed which may be inaccessible under certain water levels. The relatively protected bay at Chicken Creek East provides a great area for small watercraft to fish without having to traverse the often dangerous open water of the main Strawberry Bay. By providing a developed launch in Chicken Creek East, we will provide small craft access to this area, and provide more parking and opportunities during the winter ice fishing season as well. Many angler groups have been asking for improved small craft launch areas to avoid crowding issues at the larger ramps. The current Chicken Creek East parking area does not provide any boat access, and is so far from the water that is often unused by anglers. In addition for the need for more and improved access, there have been many issues with resource damage in critical sage grouse areas near the proposed parking area and boat launch site. Vehicles are often seen continuing along the old highway road bed, and then along the shorelines of the reservoir into areas closed to motor vehicle traffic, and into critical sage grouse habitat. The construction of the new parking area would eliminate the potential for people to access these areas that area already off-limits to motor vehicles.

During FY22 we will construct a functional boat ramp. The Outdoor Recreation Grant will need to be used by Nov 2021 with a completed project. The site will be excavated, fill brought in and graded, and a concrete boat ramp installed. The overriding objectives would be to provide improved and safer access for small watercraft on Strawberry in the Chicken Creek East area, improved parking during winter, better disperse traffic at launch sites, and provide protection for sage grouse and other natural resources in the area.

This project would limit motor vehicle traffic from impacting closed areas, and would offer protection for sage grouse in the Strawberry Valley. Damage and impacts are occurring. The current two recreation sites sit in the middle of two large sagebrush communities, whereas the new site is close to the Hwy, part of a smaller sagebrush site and thus less usable by sage grouse. These large sagebrush communities provide sage grouse with important nesting and brood-rearing habitat. Decommissioning the current sites will add approx. 1 acre to quality habitat and reduce habitat fragmentation.

The current Strawberry Management plan (UDWR Publication) calls for the support of 1.2 million angler hours of pressure on the reservoir, which we have not met in recent years. Angler perception of crowding has been shown to often limit the desire to fish body of water. By dispersing pressure to a new parking area and small water craft launch site, we can effectively reduce this potential crowding. The current management plan also calls specifically for improvement and development of areas for small water craft launching. The impetus for this comes from the conflicts that often occur between people launching small craft (such as personal inflatable craft, and other small vessels) that require more time to set up and launch than larger boats. The Forest Plan calls for protection of areas for sage grouse, and allows for closure of non-motorized areas to vehicle traffic. Uinta Forest Plan - 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Uinta National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/uwcnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5076960&width=full -Plan sites management of riparian areas (pg 2.2), management of aquatic species (pg 2.3), wildlife (pg 2.5), and vegetation (pg 2.5). Rehabilitation Plan for Strawberry Valley Streams 1988 UDWR publication. Identifies the need to rehabilitate valley streams to: 1 increase natural reproduction and 2 enhance water quality. Strawberry reservoir TMDL study 2005. Utah Division of Water Quality publication. Strawberry Watershed Action Plan 2004. USFS publication. Identifies the following for Strawberry River Segment 2A, 2B (SRR Phase IV). This segment needs work to: 1. raise the water table; 2. stabilize stream banks through use of heavy equipment, 3. instream structures, and 4. willow/carex planting. Fish passage is a concern and the segment would be managed as "beaver free" (beaver fencing, relocation etc...). -Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan 2014 The project is designated crucial summer range for Mule Deer. Section IV Statewide management goals and objectives. This project will address Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2013 (p11-12). Strategy F. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages. https://wildlife.utah.gov/hunting/biggame/pdf/mule_deer_plan.pdf -Greater Sage-grouse ROD- Attachment C: Utah Plan Amendment GRSG-GEN-DC001-Desired Condition: The landscape for the greater sage-grouse encompasses large contiguous areas of native vegetation, approximately 6-to-62 square miles in an area, to provide for multiple aspects of species life requirements. Within these landscapes, a variety of sagebrush-community compositions exist without invasive species, which have variations in subspecies composition, co-dominant vegetation, shrub cover, herbaceous cover, and stand structure to meet seasonal requirements for food, cover, and nesting for the greater sage-grouse. GRSG-R-GL-064-Guideline: In priority habitat management areas, sagebrush focal areas, and Anthro mtn., new recreational facilities or expansion of existing recreational facilities, including special-use authorizations for facilities and activities, should not be approved unless the development results in a net conservation gain to the greater sage-grouse or its habitat or the development is required for visitor safety. Wasatch County Resource Management Plan encourages land managers to "Maintain, enhance, and expand sport fishing opportunities...". This proposal for the new Chicken Creek East parking area and boat ramp was put before the Wasatch County Council and Public Lands Committee, and they were fully supportive of this effort.

Construction of this boat ramp will provide an excellent drafting location along the north shore of Strawberry Reservoir. All sized engines and water tenders will be able to directly access the reservoir, reducing drive times to other ramps of difficulties associated with dirt access'. This would have been particularly helpful 2 years ago when 2 small brush fires started along the highway on Strawberry's north shore, one was immediately across Hwy 40 from the new boat ramp site.

Strawberry Reservoir is currently under a TMDL, published and approved in 2005. Reduction of sediment born phosphorus and reductions in oxygen were identified as the loading issues. As part of this project two small perennial streams will be improved to reduce sedimentation. Chicken Creek West flows immediately adjacent to one of the "to be removed" parking areas and access roads. By removing this hardened area sediment currently flowing from the road and parking area will be removed. Another stream, Chicken Creek East flows near the new location of the boat ramp. At sometime in the past this stream was channelized for ~0.4 miles, portions of the stream flow along the Jakes Bay access road, gathering sediment and delivering it to the reservoir. During construction this stream will be moved to a new location where it can function properly. Stream sinuosity will be added and distance from human disturbances will reduce sediment from entering the system and reduce P loading to the reservoir. Overall project design will further reduce loading to Strawberry. By replacing gravel and earthen roads, lots and boat loading areas with asphalt and concrete overland movement of sediment will be removed and dust will not become airborne. Again reducing sediment loading to the reservoir.

The NEPA work for this project was completed during the fall of 2018, and all permitting has been finalized. The project is now deemed "shovel-ready".

Engineering has been completed by the Forest Service engineers, and the project is ready to go. The stream that is on site has been relocated to allow the area to dry out for construction. The site will be excavated, fill material will be hauled in graded and compacted, the roadway and parking area will be surfaced with a course aggregate, pit toilets installed, and a new concrete boat ramp installed. Most of the work will be completed through private contractors, however, Wasatch County will provide in-kind services of hauling and stockpiling material, and replacing a culvert in the roadway. UDWR crews may also be used to do the initial excavation of the parking area for staging purposes.

UDWR and/or USFS will oversee and monitor all phases of the construction to make sure that the end product will be usable and a benefit to the angling and public. UDWR and the USFS will make sure that the newly developed site is maintained in good working order to provide this access for years to come.

The USFS, being the land manager, completed the NEPA for this proposed project during the fall of 2018, and it is critical that we show a good faith effort to uphold our end of the bargain by initiating the construction phase. The USFS is also contributing much of the costs of the engineering by doing the engineering work in-house (with a supplement of $6,000 from the UDWR ), which by so using, greatly reduces the potential for conflicts in engineering designs holding up the process (which can happen with outside engineering). Once the Forest Service engineers complete the work, subsequent phases should be good to go. State Parks may also help contribute in future phases with the 25% match for the Motor Boat Access funds which we are applying for. State Parks also oversee winter plowing efforts to keep these lots open to anglers during the winter months. The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation has also granted $100,000 towards this project, however, these funds must be used before May 2021, with a completed project to show for it. The Friends of Strawberry Valley have offered $1,000 towards the project. The Strawberry Anglers Association has donated $5,000. High Country Flyfishers have donated $500, and the Utah TU Council has donated another $500.

UDWR will take the lead in insuring that structure (asphalt, and concrete) maintenance will be performed, primarily through Motor Boat Access funds. The Forest Service has committed to ensuring that the restroom will be maintained and that public access will be managed. UDWR, in partnership with State Parks will continue to provide plowing services for winter access for anglers.

By providing this access for anglers, we will be insuring that crowding and use at other areas do not overly limit access to Strawberry Reservoir, throughout the entire year. We will also be dispersing certain types of users that have had conflicts at the other boat ramps around the reservoir, thus providing a wider variety of users a more enjoyable and user friendly experience. Reclaimed parking lots will be seeded with native mixes, providing habitat areas for sage grouse, feed for deer and elk and a future grass bank if/when livestock grazing is allowed on Strawberry Project Lands.

08/22/2022

10/31/2022

2023

Engineering was completed by the Forest Service engineer. The site was excavated, fill material was hauled in to be graded and compacted, the roadway and parking area were resurfaced with a course aggregate, and a new concrete boat ramp installed. Most of the work was completed through private contractors, however, Wasatch County provided in-kind services of hauling and stockpiling material, and replacing a culvert in the roadway.

This completed project has given anglers one more access point with a boat ramp at a very popular fishery. The UDWR, as well as the USFS, recognizes this project provides a great way to allow anglers on the water, as well as snowmobile winter access, with easy access off of Hwy 40.

Future management will be in the hands of the UDWR and USFS, to ensure pit toilets, and other infrastructure that are needed will be installed as time and money allow. UDWR will continue to work with state parks to ensure funding for snowplowing is available.