An advisory committee was formed in the winter of 2021/22 to assist in developing goals, objectives, and strategies to support a new Habitat Management Plan (HMP) for the Bicknell Bottoms Waterfowl Management Area (WMA). The committee met over the course of 2 months in Wayne County and its members are listed in the partners section. At the conclusion of the five meetings a document was drafted to reflect the goals, objectives, and strategies to be included in the revised HMP. That document is uploaded to the documents page and includes recommended action to take place over the next 5 years. This proposal seeks funding to begin implementation on several key strategies identified by that committee which will also be included in the revised HMP.

-Increase efficiency of water delivery through the WMA while still maintaining waterfowl habitat characteristics and within the regulatory frameworks provided for doing so. -Decrease and/or mitigate for the loss of grazing on neighboring properties caused by the flooding of their pastures. -Achieve a greater understanding of water flow through Bicknell Bottoms. -Achieve diversity of age structure and habitat types within the vegetative and aquatic community to provide for the life cycle needs of the various waterfowl species that utilize the WMA. -Maintain high quality hunting opportunities for waterfowl enthusiasts. -Continue to improve fish habitat and overhead cover. -Provide a quality fishing experience. -Increase and improve upland game habitat. -Protect and enhance pheasant populations. -Provide a high quality hunting opportunity for upland enthusiasts. -Monitor Effects of Implemented Actions to Further Inform Future Adaptive Management Decisions In order to attempt to achieve these objectives the Committee resolved to pursue a number of actions over the next five years and monitor the results of those actions as a committee in annual meeting updates. Committee members were invited to be a part of any of the management actions that take place at the WMA. Some of the proposed actions have time frames attached to them and some are anticipated to occur sometime during the next five years giving the DWR an opportunity to phase the work and expenditures that were requested by the committee. I will attempt to document the objectives in the order in which the committee asked that they occur. While no direct promises were made to committee members the DWR did commit to do all that we could to accomplish the committee's requests in a timely manner. During July of 2022 we would like to bring a Marsh Master machine to the Bicknell WMA from one of the managed marshes around the Great Salt Lake. We are also requesting an operator to come with the Marsh Master. This machine will be used to drive over vegetation, mostly cattails, and spray the vegetation as the machine travels. There are three routes requested for this action. The three routes total roughly 11,700 feet of treatment. The width of the treatment will be determined by DWR fisheries personnel by sampling several locations on the Fremont River above the WMA where a river channel still exists. The goal of this treatment is to help water move through the WMA more efficiently for use in irrigation systems downriver from the WMA. During the spring of 2023 we would like to conduct a prescribed burn with FFSL and burn roughly 1/5 of the WMA. We propose that we burn a section on the western side of the WMA near adjacent private landowners. Both of these landowners are in favor of this prescribed burn. FFSL (Brion Terry) have been contacted and asked to update a burn plan for this prescription burn. The committee requested that a bridge be constructed near the location of the pheasant pens in the upland area. This bridge would be used to provide access without waders across Pine Creek for hunters and fishermen. The bridge would be suitable for administrative use by ATVs or a small tractor for future developments on the north side of Pine Creek in the WMA. Currently there is no access without waders into this area of roughly 40 upland type acres. Providing non-wet access to the central portion of the WMA should help spread hunting pressure especially during the annual waterfowl and pheasant hunts. The committee requested that "off-county-road" parking be provided for sportsmen and fisherman at the south side of the WMA. Two parking areas were requested, one near the pheasant pens and one near private property property at the west end of the WMA. Some wheatgrass plantings will be done in 2022 at the west end of the WMA to hopefully provide cover for pheasants that will be turned out at that location during the 2022 pheasant hunt in November/December. Utilizing the west end of the WMA should help spread hunting pressure during the annual pheasant hunt.

Channelization/Bank Alteration (direct, intentional): This threat is one of the greatest in terms of the number of taxa and habitats impacted, but typically has a lower threat impact than other water use threats; no taxa or habitats have a "very high" impact rating associated with this threat. Fish are more impacted by this threat than any other taxonomic group, with 68% of all the medium, high, and very high threats affecting them. Many fish rely on complex habitats - oxbows, pools, and backwaters - for various life-stage requirements (e.g., temperature, food, cover, water quality conditions). Channelization and bank alteration projects are frequently done for flood control, to facilitate water deliveries or to protect homes, roads, land, or other resources. This can reduce required habitat complexity, making it more difficult for many species to forage for food, hide from predators, take refuge from high/fast flows, and survive into adulthood. Terrestrial SGCNs are also impacted by this threat, which degrades or eliminates the riparian areas on which 82% of bird species in Utah have partial or complete dependence. Riparian areas also provide roosting and foraging habitat for bats. Hopefully the "channel creation" attempt will have design features in place to make suitable habitat for wildlife species while helping move water through the WMA.

The attached Goals, Objectives and Strategies document includes actions to be included in the revised HMP which should be available in late spring of 2022. These proposed actions are intended to improve or maintain habitat for wildlife and fish in addition to addressing needs of nearby landowners and downstream water users. The committee has agreed to get together for an annual progress report each January to evaluate successfulness of implemented actions and identify future management needs.

A wetland existing in a single older vegetative age class is more susceptible to catastrophic fire. Ideally we hope to diversify the age class with a rotating mosaic of age classes as young becomes old through time, and old becomes new through the use of either RX fire or prescribed grazing. Due to the quick growth nature of wetlands this rotation will occur on a shorter timeline than those associated with the uplands we more commonly work on. The goal is for each acre of wetland vegetation to see disturbance by Rx fire once every 5-10 years.

One of the concerns voiced during committee meetings was the movement of water through the WMA and it's associated wetlands. The only place water is measured near the WMA is downstream of the WMA about 3/4 of a mile at a Gauging station. Records have been collected at this station since the 1980's. There is no way to know how much water enters the WMA from the Fremont River, Pine Creek or a myriad of springs located in and around the Bicknell WMA. The committee did talk about exploring the option of establishing two other gauging stations. One on the Fremont River upstream from the WMA and one on Pine Creek near the Egan fish hatchery. Wetlands act as natures great water filter resulting in better quality water coming out of the wetland. They also act as a reservoir providing for storage of water and allowing downstream delivery later into the season. Bicknell Bottoms has shown over time through aerial photography that the WMA and it's wetlands also act as a debris basin. The Bicknell Bottoms collects storm water and runoff with the associated sediments and debris from at least 6 drainages surrounding this low area. Topography calculations using Google Earth and OnX show that the Bicknell Bottoms is relatively flat. Each time a large volume of water flow comes into the Bicknell Bottoms the debris and sediments settle out of the water as it slows going through the wetland and probably contributes to the "flatness" of this area. Over time it appears from the aerial photos that the Fremont River and Pine Creek have had a very "braided" system of channels as the water works it's way through this area. Capitol Reef National Park, USU and the Division of Water Quality have monitored Fremont river flows measuring E coli and TMDLs for a number of years. Some of the Fremont River is listed as 303d impaired. One bright spot in the Fremont River monitoring is the station just below the Bicknell Bottoms which has usually reported better water quality .

UDWR staff will work with our internal archeologist to ensure we meet any needs for compliance on the proposed actions prior to implementation. In addition, actions requiring permitting through the State Stream Alteration program or Army Corps of Engineers will be taken care of prior to implementation of those actions. Herbicide use will be documented in the annual report under the State's programmatic permit.

Prescribed Fire on a rotational basis to encourage differing age classes of vegetation while maintaining sufficient nesting cover for waterfowl. Herbicide application combined with trampling of marsh vegetation to facilitate water movement through the WMA. (Marsh Master) Design of the "corridors" by DWR staff and committee members to maximize wildlife and fisheries benefits while still seeking to aid in the efficiency of water delivery through the WMA. Design and construction of a bridge to access hunting and fishing areas on the north side of Pine Creek in the WMA. Design and construction of two parking areas for sportsmen and fishermen on the south side of the WMA. Explore opportunities for "Walk-in-Access" on the north side of the WMA in the area of "Smoker's Lane".

-Involve interested committee members in implementation of actions identified in the Habitat Management Plan. -Invite committee members to participate with dye tests and drone topo evaluation to determine actual corridors for vegetation management strategies outlined above. -Invite committee members to assist as volunteers during vegetation management treatments, additional upland plantings, parking lot development, and any other active management taking place on the WMA. -Provide an annual progress report each January to the committee and receive feedback for needed adaptive management strategies. -Utilize this annual reporting meeting to evaluate the successfulness of the vegetation management strategy to define corridors, including their compatibility with maintaining waterfowl habitat. -Identify progress in implementation of the Habitat Management Plan and what needs to be pursued next.

Bicknell Bottoms Waterfowl Management Area Habitat Management Plan Advisory Committee -Troy Justensen (Sportsmen) -Dave Behunin (Blue Ribbon Council) -Mike James (Anglers) -Jeremy Bone (Waterfowl) -Scott Christensen (Upland Game) -Dennis Blackburn (Wayne County Commission and Adjacent Landowner) -Steve Albrecht (Bicknell Town Council and Adjacent Landowner) -Seth Taft (Adjacent Landowner) -Boone Taylor (Adjacent Landowner) -Kerry Cook (Conservation District) -Phillip Pace (Downstream Water User and Adjacent Landowner) -Mike Christensen (Downstream Water User)

Work is currently under way to revise the existing HMP and is being developed with the attached Goals, Objectives, Strategies document in mind. Implementation of this plan is anticipated to be very active over the next 5 years with annual opportunities to review progress, evaluate success, and identify adaptive management strategies. Additional annual Habitat Council proposals will be forthcoming to continue to assist in this implementation.

Some threats to wildlife can be addressed with actions for which UDWR and/or partners have substantial authority, as well as stakeholder buy-in and broader social license. Other threats are more challenging to address, because they also constitute legitimate economic, cultural, and/or recreational pursuits. In order to address such threats, appropriate actions will need to be chosen or developed in concert with the administrators and stakeholders of those legitimate pursuits. The objectives and actions listed in this proposal are presented as starting points in an inclusive, ongoing discussion, not requirements or decisions that have already been made. Any and all ideas that can result in broadly-acceptable actions to meet the needs of wildlife and stakeholders are most welcome. Inclusiveness is a requirement for deciding what conservation actions will actually happen, on whose terms, and when. Bicknell Bottoms is known for excellent waterfowl hunting, is locally thought of as the best 1 mile stretch of trophy trout stream in the state, and is an up and coming upland game destination with a great pheasant program going on and planned expansion.

07/01/2021

12/01/2023

2024

Over the course of several years we have completed goals and objectives requested by the Bicknell Bottoms Habitat Plan committee. We completed a prescribed burn of 127 acres of the WMA in April 2023. We have completed the installation of three bridges over Pine Creek and the Fremont River. We have treated water courses in the marsh by treating vegetation with chemicals applied with the help of a Marsh Master. We have increased the planting area of grain fields to enhance habitat for Waterfowl and Pheasants. We have built two off-county road parking areas for use by WMA visitors. We have planted approximately 7.5 miles of grass and brush seeds with a specialized planter. We have mowed an additional 4 miles of tracks through large, decadent brush to enhance understory plant species. We re-routed a portion of fence near Pine Creek on the west end of the WMA to help the fence stand up to high water events in the creek.

I included in the documents section the "Fall 2023 Committee Report" which contains both narrative and photographs of the accomplishments. On April 16 the area was burned with a prescribed fire in the wetland. We had hoped to have this fire completed by the middle of March. Unfortunately, we cooked some goose nests as we completed this project. Our goal was to burn around 200 acres of decadent cattail to reset the burn area vegetation to an earlier successional stage. Keegan Quintana who owns a company that uses drones for remote sensing approached us about a remote sensing project. We invited him to Bicknell Bottoms. Through his cool drone technology, we were able to measure the area that was actually burned. We also identified goose nests within the burn polygons. We successfully burned 127 acres, which represented 46% of the total burn footprint. The mosaic the fire created is what we hoped for as we planned this project. Beginning last fall a new piece of ground was prepared so we could plant more grain in the upland area near the pheasant pens. This grain field grew very well this summer. We did not spray the Kochia in any of the grain fields this year to provide another seed source for waterfowl and pheasants throughout the winter. Thanks to plenty of rain, we have a bumper crop of weeds for winter food and cover! On July 18 and 19, we used the Marsh Master to make a future prescription fire line. We also re-sprayed selected watercourses, sprayed some fence lines, and created more potholes to enhance our waterfowl habitat. In the midst of all this fun, we managed to get the machine stuck! Really stuck! A couple hours later... we were able to continue our work. Many areas of the Fremont River channel through Bicknell Bottoms were sprayed last year and responded to the treatment very well. This photo illustrates one of the areas where one of the river channels has been freed of vegetation. The vegetation management has allowed more water to move through the wetland. During these same two days we were also able to pour the footings for the bridge across Pine Creek near the pheasant pens. Gary Bezzant and his crew put some Master Concrete skills to work and the bridge bases got some beautiful decorations inlaid into the cement. On July 31 we were able to set the 65' bridge over Pine Creek with the DWR heavy equipment crew and our GBRC staff. This bridge has received a lot of use by the public already and all of the comments I have heard are positive! We also put a small bridge leading to the island near the pheasant pen. The public has shown me several times this summer that they want a bridge there by moving several lodge poles across the gap, several times! On August 1 the heavy equipment crew put the west bridge beams in place over Pine Creek near the Egan Hatchery. The decking for this bridge was finished on September 1. In between playing with the bridges, we rebuilt a portion of fence on the west end of the WMA where Pine Creek likes to take out the fence during any high water event. This new section will be completed this fall. The west parking area has all the well casing braces and corners installed and welded and is awaiting the remainder of the fence soon.

We will continue to use prescribed fire and chemical vegetation treatments for the next several years to enhance WMA habitats for waterfowl nesting and brood rearing. The parking areas will be monitored and maintained as needed. More grain fields will be developed and irrigated in the upland area of the WMA. Maintenance and repair of fences never ends!