To improve upland and waterfowl habitat at Ogden Bay WMA /Howard Slough WMA/ Harold Crane WMA funding is needed to do the following: 1. Improve over-winter survival of upland game birds by growing food plots in various locations within the WMA. 2. Promote woody cover and forage production by planting, developing, restoring, and maintaining shelter belts. 3. Control noxious weeds and encourage productive, beneficial vegetation. 4. Develop dense nesting cover on islands and uplands. 5.Manage water levels to maximize wildlife production and forage in wetland environments. 6. Maintain equipment to do all of the above. 7. Repair or reconstruct failed/failing water control structures. 8. Lease 2 tractors each for a 6 month period to accomplish all of the above. The wildlife technician positions allow for the maintenance of existing habitat and the enhancement and development of additional habitat for these WMA's. With the increased pressure from an expanding human population, development of lands, changes in agricultural practices and increased recreational demands it is imperative to maximize the benefits on the areas for wildlife. Technicians will assist the only two full-time employees at OBWMA/HCWMA/HSWMA by completing necessary habitat improvement projects such as noxious weed control, phragmites control projects. Habitat technicians will be responsible for dike mowing and general maintenance on the WMAs. They will also assist in keeping W.I.M.S. updated, various seeding/planting, habitat improvement projects. Technicians will play a key role in banding projects and predator control on the WMA's.

An additional 30 acres of food plots will be planted for waterfowl and pheasants at OBWMA/HSWMA/HCWMA. This will improve over-winter survival of upland birds and create quality green forage in the spring for waterfowl. The food plots also provide high quality nesting habitat for pheasants, quail and ducks the following spring. Noxious weeds will be controlled with herbicides and water control techniques to maximize the quality of wildlife habitat. Opportunities will continue to be explored to plant some shelter belts in key areas to benefit our pheasant and quail population. Dense nesting cover will be produced in uplands with native seed mixes. Equipment will be maintained to accomplish all of the above. Tractors will be leased to accomplish mowing, disking, planting. Technicians will assist with treating around 3,000 acres of Phragmites during the fall Phragmites project. During the spring and early summer, technicians will assist in treating around 500 acres of other noxious weeds such as: hoary cress, perennial pepperweed, Dyer's woad, poison hemlock, purple loostrife, salt cedar and various thistle species. Technicians will also assist with upland nesting habitat enhancements, and ground preparation for fall food plots. Water management is essential on the wetlands to enhance our vegetation diversity. Different areas will be monitored that will either be flooded or drought stressed. This task includes monitoring over 300 water control structures that require cleaning and maintenance. Technicians will be aiding managers in banding waterfowl as well as upland releases and relocation projects. The technician will also help us with our UDWR mandated W.I.M.S. system that tracks facilities maintenance. Finally, the technician will assist with predator control.

There are currently noxious weeds on all of the uplands that need to be controlled. Once the noxious weeds are sprayed and controlled, there is potential in many areas to seed with beneficial upland seed mix to provide cover for both nesting upland birds and waterfowl. Managing water levels with fully functional water control structures will make the area much more productive. Some of this money could go towards fixing or improving water control structures. Because if water control structures fail, there is a major threat of Phragmites and cattail encroachment. When dealing with farming equipment there is always a physical risk if employees are not cautious in operating equipment. However, technicians will be trained in the use and safety of all equipment. There is also a threat when working around water. Proper precautions and training will also be implemented when working around water.

The proposed project meets the objectives in our Habitat management plans. Also the proposed project meets objectives in the WAP such as: Other Ecosystem Modifications Objective #2 for Other Ecosystem Modifications Land management agencies and agents develop vegetation management projects that avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to species and habitats identified as vulnerable to these threats such as brush eradication. Habitat modification and loss is being mitigated by perennial plantings, food plots and shrub rows. Objective #1 for Sediment Transport Imbalance Opportunities are found and taken, to modify or remove reservoir infrastructure, or modify outflow management, to simulate or return natural sediment transport. The continual build-up of sediments in GSL wetlands is a major problem that can lead to decreased open water areas, shallower water depths that do not maximize the production of submerged aquatic vegetation, and promotes invasive plant species. The WMA's management relies on water control structures that can be used to help pass through unwanted sediments and maintain a highly diverse and functional wetland. Objective #1 for Droughts Terrestrial SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions. Drought condition over that past several years has reduced the resilience of highly functional upland habitats. In order to maintain, and rehabilitate these upland habitats, renovation and reseeding is necessary in order to minimize the impacts of drought. Actions that this project will address include; 2.3.14 Conduct upland vegetation treatments to restore characteristic upland vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings. 3.3.1 Develop list of priority reintroduction species and locations Objective #2 for Droughts Aquatic SGCNs and key habitats persist on the landscape, despite increasing drought conditions. Drought conditions over the past several years has made it imperative that the WMA's have properly functioning water control structures to maximize water deliveries in order to maintain key wetland habitats. Actions that this project will address include; 2.3.6 Restore aquatic habitat complexity 2.3.15 Conduct riparian vegetation treatments to restore characteristic riparian vegetation, and reduce uncharacteristic fuel types and loadings.

N/A

Water quantity and impoundment levels will be monitored daily.

All areas that the soil will be disturbed in areas that it hasn't been disturbed will be coordinated with the archaeologist.

This is a fairly broad project and could consist of many methods for completion of various projects. For example, areas may be mowed, disked, and then planted to create new food-plots or shelter-belts for waterfowl or upland game birds. New and existing food-plots, will be sprayed to control noxious weeds. Also, noxious weeds will be sprayed at the appropriate time each year so that the maximum kill per species is achieved. Before planting shelter-belts, the most productive woody species will be determined by assessing which species have the best chance of survival within the soil types that are present at OBWMA/HSWMA/HCWMA. Woody species will be planted in areas that are close to a water source so that shelter-belts can be watered. Upland nesting cover plantings will also occur. Soil samples will be taken on all areas and soil amendments will be added to give everything that is planted the best opportunity to succeed. Repair of eroding dikes may be a necessary addition to this project. Water control structures will also be constructed to replace failed structures. Technicians will assist with fall waterfowl bag checks, trash management, water management, predator control, waterfowl banding and dove banding. Technicians will be safely instructed on using a variety of trapping methods, tools and techniques that abide by all state Euthanasia guidelines to decrease predators and promote desired wildlife populations on the WMA's. Technicians will be educated/trained about plant I.D., sprayer use and maintenance, machine use, maintenance and safety while working on the WMA's.

Habitat assessments for Phragmites project success are done with a series of photo-point monitoring, and rapid habitat assessments through vegetation transects on treatment sites. Weed monitoring is done by recording the amount and then acreage of herbicide sprayed. The location and date of herbicide treatments are also recorded. Habitat technicians assist managers with waterfowl population monitoring by completing on-the-ground census. Habitat technicians assist managers with waterfowl harvest monitoring through hunter-bag-checks.

Partners will be the volunteers that will be used on volunteer projects used to accomplish some of these projects. SFW

The projects will be maintained in the future. All shrub rows will be irrigated until it is thought the plants can survive on their own. Any areas that are sprayed will be revisited in the future and sprayed when necessary.

Cattle may be used in areas that Phragmites is growing and water management and herbicide treatments are failing.

07/01/2022

06/30/2023

2023

Habitat conditions improved at Ogden Bay WMA once again. Mother nature really helped out with a nice wet fall, winter and spring. Spring nesting conditions were the best they have been in the past 10 years and duck production was the best it has been in the past 20 years. There were only around 10 acres of food plots planted because the river was so high from runoff that it prevented us from reaching many of our uplands until July. There were 86 acres of nesting habitat perennial grasses and forbs planted in November. The rain and snow started early and often in November and prevented us from getting more planted. We also broadcast the seed and couldn't harrow it in. It is the second best germination that I have seen in 20 years, next to 2011 germination. There were over 1,000 shrubs planted in May. We had also planned to plant those in the fall, but the early winter prevented it. Survival seems pretty good. Noxious weeds were controlled all across the uplands. Target species were thistle, white top, cactus and poison hemlock. Water levels were managed to the best of our ability despite very above average spring runoff. The high spring runoff caused extreme erosion down south run of the Weber river and washed some of our main road out. There was an emergency purchase of 10k worth of rip rap to help prevent the entire road from washing out. Two tractors were leased for 6 months each. Those tractors allowed us to do all of the habitat work. Equipment was repaired and maintained as well most notably was the mower and disks. Two six month technicians were funded with this money and they are a major reason that everything is accomplished.

Ogden Bay WMA is a very important area for both nesting and migrating waterfowl, pheasants and quail. Managers have worked extremely hard to provide the best nesting cover, food plots and habitat for wildlife possible. Our goals were to create as much good habitat as possible. Managers tried as hard as the weather would let us to plant more habitat in the fall and as many food plots as possible in the Spring. However, Mother nature prevailed and we didn't quite meet our goals. The fall planting was incredible, however. The pheasants forever habitat specialist was a life saver this year. Wyat added so much value to what was done. His work allowed managers to do other much needed things.

Managers will continue to do weed control, fall plantings, food plots and shrub plantings. Ogden Bay WMA is looking pretty incredible and is sure to provide excellent habitat for wildlife this fall, while also providing incredible opportunity to our hunters.