Book Cliffs Spring Maintenance
Project ID: 6053
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2023
Submitted By: 30
Project Manager: Pat Rainbolt
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Northeastern Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northeastern
Description:
Maintenance of three previously developed water sources
Location:
Bookcliffs Divide in Northern Grand County, Utah
Project Need
Need For Project:
The upper elevation area of the Book Cliffs in Uintah and Grand counties has become the focal point for improved management by multiple partners that comprise the Book Cliffs Working Group. Partners include UDWR, SITLA, BLM, NRCS, UDAF, Private property owners, Permitees, and Sportsman's Groups. This group has identified the limiting resources of the Book Cliffs area and developed projects that will benefit all users on the landscape. Water sources in the Book Cliffs big game summer range are limited and the few existing sources experience over-use. Over-use of existing water sources can lead to over utilization of the surrounding forage, animal disease, and degradation of the water source.
Objectives:
The Book Cliffs working group has identified water availability as a priority to address in the Book Cliffs summer range area. Strategies, such as the identification and prioritization of areas needing additional water to allow for better animal distribution and forage utilization, were identified as methods to use to help improve the big game (mule deer and elk) summer range. Fulfilling this strategy will help improve mule deer and elk fawning and calving areas, helping those herds approach their management objectives for the Book Cliffs hunt unit. Project objectives include: Spring #1 will have the the source re-piped and routed to a new big game guzzler type trough. Spring #2 will have a toprail added to the pipe and barbed wire fencing surrounding the spring source. A new tire trough and collection pipe will be installed. Spring #3 will be re-excavated, developed, and piped to a new big game guzzler type trough.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
The Book Cliffs Working Group performed an inventory of resources available in the Book Cliffs summer range and the demand that is placed on those resources. The current permitted demand is almost equivalent to production on average years and during drought years, may exceed forage production. Maintenance of existing water sources is needed to help animals more effectively utilize forage across the landscape. This project will also lessen the degradation of existing water sources, risk of disease spread among congregated animals, and reduce the potential for over-use of adjacent range of limited water sources.
Relation To Management Plan:
This project was identified as a priority action in the Book Cliffs Working Group 5 Year Plan: Issue and Strategy #4: Water Availability a. Identify and prioritize areas needing additional water to allow for better distributions. b. Identify a 5 year plan for water developments. c. Propose at least two water development projects annually to the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative Water Development Fund and the Utah Grazing Improvement Program. Book Cliffs Bison Herd Unit Management Plan Habitat Management Goal 4. Discourage bison from areas with potential conflicts by improving range conditions in areas where conflicts do not exist. Book Cliffs Deer Herd Management Plan Habitat Management Strategy: Maintain and/or enhance forage production through direct range improvements to support and maintain herd population management objectives.
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
Water quantity available for animal use will increase. Better distribution of animals may decrease erosion and sediment runoff around existing water sources.
Compliance:
The three springs are located on SITLA surface. This project qualifies as a maintenance activity, does not extend beyond the original pond footprint, and will not require arch clearance. A Range Improvement Form has been submitted to SITLA regarding this project.
Methods:
The Book Cliffs Working Group Action Plan identified strategies to increase water availability in an effort to help offset forage deficiency in the Book Cliffs. Using these strategies will help address one of the biggest summer range habitat issues in the Book Cliffs and help deer and elk herds in the area approach their management objectives. Spring maintenance will be performed with a heavy equipment contractor that has experience performing similar projects.
Monitoring:
Springs will be monitored to ensure maintenance activities are successful.
Partners:
UDWR, SITLA, Vernal BLM, NRCS, UDAF, Private property owners, Permittees, and Sportsman's Groups.
Future Management:
Springs will be monitored for functionality and will be maintained as needed.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
Water in the western area of the Book Cliffs will be better distributed and use of the forage by wildlife and livestock will be better distributed.
Budget WRI/DWR Other Budget Total In-Kind Grand Total
$50,000.00 $37,500.00 $87,500.00 $5,000.00 $92,500.00
Item Description WRI Other In-Kind Year
Contractual Services Heavy equipment operator transport and access to sites, setting tanks, excavating where needed, installing pipe, and finish work. $35,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Materials and Supplies Tire Trough donated by Simplot Phosphate Mine $0.00 $0.00 $5,000.00 2023
Materials and Supplies Two Boss Tanks big game guzzler tanks $13,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Materials and Supplies HDPE pipe with connectors, fittings, adhesives, and associated hardware $1,500.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Contractual Services Miscellaneous: Heavy equipment: Excavation/earthwork, Removal of old tanks, Setting new tanks. 2, Boss big game (1800 gallon) guzzler tanks. HDPE pipe, connectors, fittings, adhesives & hardware. Tire troughs and installation $0.00 $37,500.00 $0.00 2023
Funding WRI/DWR Other Funding Total In-Kind Grand Total
$50,000.00 $37,500.00 $87,500.00 $10,000.00 $97,500.00
Source Phase Description Amount Other In-Kind Year
Simplot Phosphate Mine Donation of 3 large tire troughs $0.00 $0.00 $10,000.00 2023
$0.00 $37,500.00 $0.00 2023
Utah Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) S022 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) S023 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) S025 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Safari Club International (SCI) S026 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) S027 $25,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Utah Archery Association (UAA) S052 $5,000.00 $0.00 $0.00 2023
Species
Species "N" Rank HIG/F Rank
American Bison N4 R2
Threat Impact
Disease – Alien Organisms Low
American Bison N4 R2
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Domestic Livestock
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Elk R2
Threat Impact
Disease – Alien Organisms Low
Elk R2
Threat Impact
Droughts Low
Elk R2
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Mule Deer R1
Threat Impact
Disease – Alien Organisms Low
Mule Deer R1
Threat Impact
Droughts Medium
Mule Deer R1
Threat Impact
Temperature Extremes Medium
Mule Deer R1
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Habitats
Habitat
Aspen-Conifer
Threat Impact
Droughts Medium
Aspen-Conifer
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Gambel Oak
Threat Impact
Temperature Extremes Low
Gambel Oak
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Mountain Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Droughts High
Mountain Sagebrush
Threat Impact
Not Listed NA
Project Comments
Comment 01/14/2022 Type: 1 Commenter: Clint Sampson
This is a great project! Any chance we have to keep water available for the growing bison herds in the Book Cliffs is a huge win! Plus it will benefit all the other wildlife, domestic herds, and feral/wild horses. Great Job Pat! I see you working!!
Comment 01/27/2022 Type: 1 Commenter: Tom Platero
Hey Pat, this project looks great! Just wondering, it looks like the water source maintenance is going to take place in yearlong bighorn sheep habitat. Is it reasonable to add them to the species list?
Comment 02/01/2022 Type: 1 Commenter: Pat Rainbolt
The bighorn population is mostly confined to the Willow Creek canyon itself, however the occasional bighorn has been spotted outside of the canyon on the tops. Their use of the springs would be extremely rare, if at all, so I would feel uncomfortable adding them to the list of species that would benefit.
Comment 09/01/2023 Type: 2 Commenter: Alison Whittaker
Please enter any missing expenses, highlighted in rust, on the Finance Page. There were no expenses through DWR on record. What funds were used? Was it all through other or in-kind? If you need to add additional expense info for sources that are not already listed you can go to the funding section and add a funding line item first and then enter those expenses. It sounds like at the very least you need to add a line item for the permittee's in-kind work. When you have completed that please go back to the Completion Form and finalize your report again so I know that it has been completed. Thanks.
Completion
Start Date:
05/01/2023
End Date:
06/29/2023
FY Implemented:
2023
Final Methods:
The grazing permittee in that area of the bookcliffs provided the labor for this project. During the spring of 2023, he re-developed the three springs in the summer range of the bookcliffs divide area. The springs are now producing water for wildlife and livestock, and protected well into the future.
Project Narrative:
The grazing permittee, UDAF, and UDWR planned this water project in 2021. Funding was acquired for project implementation during FY 23. When conditions allowed in spring 2023, the permittee excavated each spring location, used a gravel/perforated pipe collection system, backfilled each site, then used large tire troughs to collect and store water from each of the three springs.
Future Management:
The locations will be monitored by the permittee, UDAF, and UDWR for functionality and maintenance needs. Needs will be addressed by the partners as they arise in the future.
Map Features
ID Feature Category Action Treatement/Type
2439 Water development point feature Maintenance Spring development
Project Map
Project Map