Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands is implementing ongoing vegetation and hydrologic improvements for the purpose of re-establishing and enhancing the regionally rare and critically important wetland and riparian habitat along the Jordan River. The proposed actions under this request include the expansion of existing riparian and wetland revegetation pilot-projects, implementation of bank-stabilization projects, ongoing fuel abatement and management of invasive vegetation. This work includes herbicide applications and mechanical removal of invasive phragmites, Russian olive and salt cedar, in addition to seeding native grasses and forbs and planting native willows and trees and installing conifer revetments and erosion control devices. The goal of this work is to enhance wildlife habitat, improve water quality, increase water quantity, mitigate wildfire potential, and increase recreation access (bird watching and interpretation about wildlife, aquatic habitat, native plants, and noxious weeds.)

- Re-establishment and rehabilitation of 10 acres of severely degraded riparian habitat to a more natural, resilient, restored environment, resulting in a gain of aquatic resource area and functions. - Implement bank-stabilization work along 3000 linear feet (0.55 miles) of river channel, resulting in improved water quality and quantity. - Fuel abatement and understory thinning to mitigate wildfire risk and reduce potential for homeless encampments. - Provide a much-needed urban wildlife viewing area along the Jordan River.

- Continued impaired water quality. - Continued bank erosion and riparian habitat loss. - Noxious weed encroachment. - Continued habitat loss for wildlife. - Continued high water temperatures in this stretch of the river. - Continued wildfire risk. - Noxious weeds are the dominant vegetation on the current proposed project area (including phragmites, salt cedar, Russian olive, Dalmatian toadflax, purple loosestrife, whitetop, Scotch thistle, Canada thistle and Russian thistle), and if not contained, will continue to spread and increase in density, making this necessary work more expensive in the future.

LINK TO EACH Blueprint Jordan River Jordan River Comprehensive Management Plan Jordan River Commission Cooperative Weed Management Charter Best Practices for Riverfront Communities Blueprint Jordan River (2008) Goals /objectives: 1) Restore the river channel and buffers to improve and protect water quality, enhance hydrologic function, and to support vegetation, wildlife, and habitat, 2) Integrate storm water treatment into open lands to naturally filter water runoff, 3) Enhance fish habitat, and 4) Promote the river as a quality-of-life amenity and recreational destination by creating urban fisheries. Jordan River Natural Corridor Report (2000) Goals/objectives: 1) Provides recommendations for natural conservation corridors specially naming the restoration project, 2) Addresses restoration to "ensure proper grading and stream bed elevation and supplemental irrigation to allow successful habitat restoration away from the immediate riverbank", 3) Provides a physical and biological assessment, and 4) Addresses improving water quality by restoring the river profile to reduce erosion.

Densely overgrown stands (>5 acres) of invasive woody vegetation (Russian olive and salt cedar) with dense phragmites in the understory provide cover for homeless encampments and contribute to dangerous wildfire conditions. Mechanical thinning/removal of these infestations will mitigate wildfire risk and reduce potential for homeless encampments.

Streambank stabilization and associated riparian habitat revegetation will reduce erosion and sediment transport, enhance wildlife habitat and improve water quality and quantity. Emphasis will be placed on implementing bank-stabilization and riparian revegetation that would affect aquatic reduction-oxidation conditions and improve dissolved oxygen and water temperature creating a more suitable aquatic habitat. The bank-stabilization work will improve water quality by reducing the sediment load, and riparian revegetation will improve water quantity by removing invasive vegetation that grows denser and transpires at a faster rate than native vegetation. According to the Jordan River TMDL Phase II (2010) prepared for Utah State Division of Water Quality, this section of river is impaired by high TMDL loads and elevated water temperatures.

NEPA not required? We are concurrently applying for Stream Alteration Permits with Division of Water Rights and USACE, Flood Control Permits with Salt Lake County Flood Control, and determining other necessary permits required by local municipalities.

Under the supervision and guidance of FFSL staff, two Utah Conservation Corps crews (10 individuals) will be scheduled for two hitches (16 days or 160 total work hours) in both the Fall of 2022 and Spring of 2023. These crews will perform streambank stabilization work along 3000 linear feet of the river, installing conifer revetments (secured with duck-bill earth anchors), coir jute, straw wattles, sod mats and willow poles. These installations will be implemented according to the specifications deemed appropriate according to the geomorphology of each stretch of river (inside vs. outside bend, bankful height, slope, etc) and based on the lessons learned from past projects on different stretches of the river. Outside-bends with steep eroding banks will be planted with native trees grown in tall-pots and planted in holes augured >3' deep. Plantings will be located 15' OC and 10' in from toe of bank. The roots of these trees, once established, will armor the steep banks and prevent further river migration and erosion and sediment transport. These trees will also provide much-needed shade to the river, improving dissolved oxygen levels once established. Inside-bends with low gradient bank slope and low elevation relative to water level will be planted with willow poles using a hammer-drill and a waterjet stinger. Willow poles will be harvested on site and planted with a 1:1 root to shoot ratio at a depth of >3'. Willow poles will be planted in a grid, 5' OC up to 15' from toe of bank. Each willow planting will be housed in a plastic shrub shelter. These shrub shelters prevent herbivory from beavers and voles, stabilize relative humidity, and most importantly, they prevent injury from herbicide drift resulting from future herbicide applications to phragmites, allowing us to continue weed abatement while establishing native plants to armor the streambank and prevent further erosion. Especially low-lying inside-bends will be planted with sod mats. Incised straightaways will have conifer revetments installed at the toe of the bank. Steep eroding parts of the bank will have slope re-contoured to a gentler gradient, and loose soil will be stabilized with jute coir and straw wattles. Willow poles will then be planted throughout according to the specs above, and sown with a mix of hydric and mesic native grass and forb seed. All of this work is to be performed along a 3000' stretch of the Jordan that has had two complete seasons of phragmites herbicide applications and repeated mowing. FFSL will continue weed abatement into the future.

Tracy Aviary Bird Surveys. FFSL will continue regular EDRR monitoring.

Partners include: Jordan River Commission, Utah Open Lands, Salt Lake County Watershed Planning and Restoration, Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Division of Water Quality, Tracy Aviary, South Valley Sewer District, City of Draper, URMCC...

FFSL will continue regular monitoring and weed abatement.