Utah Lake and its shores are utilized for sports, recreation, agriculture, and as valuable wetland habitat. With 20 of the current 27 public access points at the lake being used as sportsmen's access points, there is demand for repair and enhancement of the access and amenities to facilitate and improve the experience of sportsmen. The five access points listed in this project are in need or repair and enhancement: - Lincoln Point - dirt access roads are long overdue for regrading, concrete boat ramps are in disrepair, potential for basic amenities for dispersed camping, invasive trees (tamarisk and russian olive) impeding access to walking paths down to waterline, maze of roads causing confusion on where to access, no signage - Mill Race - dirt access road along dike is long overdue for regrading as well as parking area, boat ramp area has hazards for tires and boats, fencing along parking area is damaged, potential for ADA compliant fishing area - Mile Post 13 (Mosida Acres) - fencing at parking area is damaged, road needs regrading, no clear trail down to water line to avoid trespassing, potential for signage on right of entry, no signage at access turnoff - Mulberry Beach - access pull through on both sides of the beach are severely degraded - Swede Lane - regrading of access road needed, no signage at entrance, dirt boat ramp is rutted, access when lake levels are low is an issue, invasive trees encroaching on boat launch, fencing needs repair In a recent survey of almost 1,000 Utah Lake users, 43% said hunting and/or fishing were activities they participated in at Utah Lake. With such high use, there is much that needs to be repaired and enhanced in order to provide quality public access and positive memorable experiences at Utah Lake. The Utah Lake Commission coordinates with local municipal governments, Utah County, and applicable state and federal agencies as well as private landowners to protect and enhance the shoreline of Utah Lake.

This project aims to address the needs of the several sportsmen's access points listed above. - Lincoln Point - regrade and establish the intended dirt access roads, repair and clear the concrete boat ramps, install basic fire rings for dispersed camping, remove invasive trees where needed, post informational signage to improve understanding of access, scoop out sediment and flora build up at bottom of boat ramps - Mill Race - regraded access road and parking areas, install concrete boat ramp, repair/replace damaged fencing, install ADA-compliant fishing area next to parking area - Mile Post 13 (Mosida Acres) - repair/replace damaged fencing, regrade access road and parking area, create clear trail from parking area to lake shoreline, post signage to enhance access understanding - Mulberry Beach - regrade ingress/egress road access - Swede Lane -regrade road/parking, add signage, remove invasive trees encroaching on boat launch, repair/replace damaged fencing

The public access points at Utah Lake were created to provide public access to utilize this great resource. Fishing, hunting, birdwatching and so many other activities are made possible at these locations. As the amenities have fallen into disrepair at these five locations, access is impacted, lowering visitation and increasing the likelihood of threshold of being abandoned without immediate the intervention of needed repairs and enhancements.

The Utah Lake Commission and Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands adopted the Utah Lake Master Plan in June 2009. The Master Plan includes a section on Recreation (Section 4.6), of which, several of the subsections are relevant to this project. Below are several selected objectives from section 4.6, and the description of how this project accomplishes those objectives. Objectives are listed in italicsI and descriptions are included in normal font. 4.6.2.2 Objective R-1.2 -- Improve Access Points The Commission encourages improvements to public access points including roads, signage, parking, pocket parks, sanitary facilities and other amenities. The project involves improvements to roads, signage, parking, etc. at all five of the included sportsmen's access points. 4.6.3.1 Objective R-2.1 -- Variety of Recreational Activities The Commission will encourage actions to provide multiple destinations and facilities for lake recreation such as marinas, boat ramps, beaches, trails and natural areas. This project supports a balanced approach to recreation activities at the lake, as many recreational pursuits will benefit (e.g. kayaking/boating/fishing/sailing/canoeing/paddle boarding all benefit from improved boat launches, all activities benefit from improved access roads and parking, etc.) 4.6.4.1 Objective R-3.1 -- Study Needs for Marinas and Informal Boat Access A number of lake access points are currently used for launching small motorized fishing and hunting boats, and for non-motorized craft such as kayaks and windsurfers. Most of these access points lack facilities (e.g., designated parking areas, sanitary facilities and trash removal). The Commission identified the sportsmen's access points most in need of repair or enhancement. Four of the five access points included in this project will have informal boat access enhancement. 4.6.7.1 Objective R-6.1 -- Hunting Opportunities Identify and manage hunting areas on Utah Lake to maximize the quality of the experience while avoiding potential conflicts with other uses. Enhancing these sportsmen's access points supports the objective of providing hunting opportunities in the areas best suited for hunting. 4.6.7.2 Objective R-6.2 -- Fishing Opportunities The Commission, in coordination with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, will encourage public access for angling opportunities, with appropriate facilities, at Utah Lake. Utah Lake is currently targeted for 160,000 angler hours of recreation annually, as identified in the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources' Utah Lake Drainage Management Plan. This project facilitates public access to several popular fishing areas at the lake, including: Provo Bay, Goshen Bay, Lincoln Point, etc.

The budget for this project includes an allocation for invasive tree removal. Russian olive and tamarisk at Utah Lake contribute to the overall fuel loading of the shoreline. Removing the trees that directly impede launching of boats and access via walking trails will improve access and also reduce fuel loads for potential wildfires. Reducing the fuels along the shoreline also prevents the negative impacts of large fires to the Air quality along the Wasatch Front which is uniquely susceptible to poor air quality.

This project ensures that the proper public access points have desirable facilities, limiting the likelihood of visitors seeking better options in undesirable areas (trespassing on private property, creating their own trails/boat launches outside the public access points, etc.) This project would prevent erosion of the lake shoreline by enticing visitors to utilize the enhanced facilities (Trails and Roads) instead of creating their own. Utah Lake is a priority on the current Utah County Resource Assessment Plan created in 2013. It points out that the lake provides water not only to its county residents but also to Salt Lake and Davis Counties. As the third largest freshwater lake in the western United States, Utah Lake contains ~902,400 acre feet of water when full. As such, it is a very important part of the watershed both in quantity and for its quality.

The Utah Lake Commission will assure any needed permits are acquired through the US Army Corps of Engineers prior to clearing the biomass found on the boat ramp at the Lincoln Point unimproved marina area.

The Utah Lake Commission will hire a contractor to complete the project. The project's contractor will use industry standard processes and equipment for each element of repair/enhancement, Road/Parking grading - will use a grader to restore the driving surface and drainage attributes to roads. The operator will remove washboards, potholes and other irregularities by cutting the surface of the road or filling them with material moved back and forth across the road with the road grader. Equipment used could include: grader, dump trucks, bulldozer, etc. Concrete Boat ramps - new boat ramps will be constructed according to best practices from other projects done by State Parks, Wildlife Resources and other partners. Fencing - to minimize costs, only damaged sections of fencing will be repaired/replaced. Split rail fencing is what is currently in use at most of the access points so that will be used, unless existing fencing is of another type, then it will be repaired/replaced to match. Invasive tree removal - removal of invasive trees will conform to the guidelines from Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands in their best practices document, Guidelines for Invasive Species Removal on Utah Lake to ensure proper removal of russian olive and tamarisk. Informational signage - signage listing names of access points, regulatory signage (no motorized access past this point, etc.), informational signage (ex. map of access point, QR code or URL for more information, etc.) and the signage recognizing the funding source will all be posted at the access points. Location of signs will be by agreement of all partners of the project. Dredge Materials at boat ramps - a Back hoe or excavator will be used to scoop material out and deposit it away from the shoreline, within requirements of the US Army Corps.

Before/after photos of each location will be taken and uploaded to the database to demonstrate the current conditions and the conditions once enhancements and repairs have been completed.

- Utah Lake Commission - manage the project, hire contractor to complete work, design signage, trail cameras and analysis - Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands - provide instruction on invasive tree removal - Utah Division of Wildlife Resources - Helped identify needed repairs at the access points and will be involved in the volunteer clean up projects through its dedicated hunter program. - Utah County - provides assistance and employees guidance to complete the Lincoln Beach/point improvements

The Utah Lake Commission, comprising 17 cities, Utah County, UDNR, UDWQ, CUWCD, has a long term vested interest, regardless of land ownership, in maintaining the shorelines of Utah Lake and has identified this as a priority in the Utah Lake Master Plan. As the owner of the lake bed, the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands is also dedicated to long term lake management. As described in the methods and monitoring sections, our long-term plan includes implementing quality repairs and/or enhancements to these locations and monitoring to ensure their use continues.

This project has the potential to improve both the quality of recreation as well as the quantity of recreation at five of the public access points at Utah Lake. The lake has no dedicated, ongoing funding source and as a result facilities are often in need of repair or non-existent. This project will enhance the facilities, attracting additional recreation enthusiasts and allowing for better access to participate in recreation activities.