The wetlands adjacent to the Great Salt Lake (GSL) are of extremely high value to the watershed's health. These ecological communities provide many ecosystem services such as clean water and wildlife habitat. As GSL recedes, most stormwater or groundwater seepage flowing into the dry lake shoreline results into monotypic stands of Phragmites. The Miller Pond site has degraded and has filled in as a monoculture of Phragmites. Therefore, these wetlands are not able to provide important services in the watershed. As many wetland managers know, treatment of drought stressed Phragmites is not effective, thus this area has not improved even with herbicide treatment by TNC and FFSL. Rebuilding the levee system will allow us to control water levels, conduct effective invasive weed treatments, and will improve wetland habitat for wildlife With the construction of this project, we can mitigate those losses by creating stable water conditions which will allow us to manage Phragmites using water control techniques. The project site is, immediately adjacent to the North Davis Sewer Treatment outflow and, with the developments of moving this sewer outflow water to the north side of the causeway, this project will help to offset some of the loss of waterfowl and shorebird habitat from Farmington Bay.

The purpose of the Project is to 1) create wetland habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other wildlife; 2) improve water quality; and 3) best manage storm water from adjacent cities. Currently storm water from Miller Pond is sheet-flowing over TNC and State Lands creating vast Phragmites plumes. Miller Pond Wetlands Project when constructed will involve installing water control structures along an ancient GSL shoreline bluff which will direct water flow to the north and south. The water flowing to the north will be additional water needed for the impoundments constructed with the help of Ducks Unlimited in the early 2000's, and the water flowing to the south will be direct to a levee on Utah State Sovereign Land adjacent to the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. This levees was constructed on the lake shore, we believe in the 1950's, and was abandoned after the GSL high water levels of the 1980's. The purpose of this levee was to catch water coming from adjacent land and create sustainable wetland habitat. The areas has now become a mono-typic vegetation type consisting of almost 100% Phragmites the plant has creates, tall monocultures of vegetation that has forces out native plants, which few birds species can utilize this habitat, the goal is to regenerate wetlands habitat for all wildlife. High Interest Game and Fish and Species of Greatest Conservation Need will benefit from restored wetlands and include mallard, Canada goose, White-faced Ibis, and Snowy Plover. Monarch butterflies and millkweed have been detected on the Shorelands Preserve and removal of phragmites will allow for expansion of pollinator habitat. The objective of Miller Pond Wetlands Project Phase I Engineering is to hire an contractor to provide the Engineering/Design, Cultural Clearance and purchase water monitoring supplies/equipment and testing. The Engineering/Design team will survey, design, prepare drawings/specifications, and obtain permit for the project site. The Cultural Clearance team will provide the administration, file search, field work and reporting requirements of Utah DWR.

The GSL ecosystem is about to cross an ecological threshold because the high salinity levels in the Lake are now causing decline in the two major food sources for birds: brine shrimp and brine flies. The condition of the wetlands adjacent to GSL is essential to provide refuge for for birds, as many bird populations are expected to sharply decline. Unfortunately, many of GSLs wetlands are in poor condition due to invasive phragmites and polluted water from urbanization across the Wasatch Front. The increase of polluted (i.e., debris, garbage, sediment, and excessive nutrients) storm water entering the project site has exacerbated the spread of phragmites by sheet-flowing across Project site, with little or no ability to manage the water or water depth. This project will restore and create wetlands which we believe will support bird populations from crossing ecological thresholds.

The Miller Pond Wetlands Project falls within TNC's long-term management plan for the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. This also meets objectives in the Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) such as: Other Ecosystem Modifications Objective #2. 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.

The Project will support TNC and Utah FFSL's long-term fire management goals by managing the buildup of Phragmites fuel loads on both TNC and State Lands. Human and lightening-caused wildfires in Phragmites vegetation have been a major threat to homes and businesses, now that the boundary of the GSL and Shorelands Preserve is highly urbanized.

The project benefits to water quality will be realized through removal of large and small-scale particulate matter that has been incorporated into the storm water. The majority of the large-scale particulate matter is removed off site, thru Syracuse City Storm Water Management Plan, the fine sediments and organic will flow into the existing or constructed wetlands where it will settle to the bottom of the ponds or be filtered by the standing wetland vegetation. The Project will provide biological methods that utilize vegetative filtering and phyto-remediation action that will allow for dissolved particulates to be removed through natural processes over time. Substances of concern that can be removed by the natural filtering and phyto- remediation process of wetlands are: Heavy Metals (Copper, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, etc.) Hydrocarbons (Motor Oil, Hydraulic Fluid, Gasoline, Diesel, etc.) Fertilizers and Pesticides. Many of these substances are filtered and absorbed by the wetlands as a natural process of absorption and the wetland cells will moderate the quantity and quality of the storm water to reduce dissolved particulates and chemical impurities The project benefits the water quantity to GSL with the added benefit of Phragmites management one of the most invasive wetland plant species on the project site. Due to its high biomass, Phragmites evapotranspiration is higher than most native plant species. Reducing the amount of Phragmites can help improve water quantity. Phragmites also accretes soil and litter at much higher rates than most native plants. Rapid soil accretion, high amounts of litter, and very high density of stems, alters water distributions reducing downstream flow and in some cases, resulting in loss of wetland habitat further downstream.

This project will comply with all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Utah Division of Water Quality requirements under the Clean Water Act. Cultural resource and archaeological clearances will be completed. While no impacts are expected, this project will also comply with the Endangered Species Act and Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

This is Phase I of the project which consists of the engineering/design and permitting phase, the goal is to have firms under contract by July 31, 2023, with completion of this phase by December 31, 2023. The water quality monitoring will be conducted by University of Utah Graduate Students enrolled the Dr. Dovick Environmental Field Methods and Analysis Program. With the engineered drawings/specifications, and permitting completed, TNC along with our partners will focus on Phase II Implementation and Construction.

Vegetation and water monitoring will be conducted by the University of Utah Graduate Students enrolled in Professional Master of Science and Technology, Dr. Meghan Dovick, Program Director and Instructor. The water monitoring team will collaborate with scientists from a variety of state and community partners to gather data on water quality, sediment quality and vegetation to create a baseline assessment of site conditions before construction. Bird monitoring has been ongoing for 4 years and will continue in this Project area. The bird survey team which will conducted by a Certified Wildlife Biologist will follow methods outlined in the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions Point-Transect Method and will gather data to understand bird use of the area during breeding season developing a baseline of bird use before construction. Potential Phragmites treatments areas and their efficacy will be identified by TNC and FFSL staff.

This Project was built on ecologically-relevant boundaries and therefore crosses several land ownerships and jurisdictions. Therefore, the two major land managers are TNC and FFSLs partners. The adjacent neighboring properties are also supportive of this project and include Mills Family Livestock. Other partners on the Project include University of Utah, Utah Geologic Survey, Farmington Bay WMA, Syracuse City Engineering, Davis County Public Works, Ducks Unlimited, Sageland Collaborative, Half Circle Cross Ranch, KO Ranch, Truck Pro LC, Utah Department of Transportation, and donors to The Nature Conservancy. These partners are providing valuable insight and expertise to make this a successful project.

This Project is part of TNC and FFSL's shared long-term management goal to restore habitat for birds throughout the GSL ecosystem. Long-term management strategies will be based on research and tested techniques. Unlike in other restoration sites, use of cattle grazing is an essential tool to manage invasive phragmites (see Duncan et al. 2019, attached). For Phase I, TNC will oversee the management, in partnership with FFSL. TNC will work with FFSL and Farmington Bay WMA to design a management plan for the newly constructed wetlands that includes long-term goals, how to evaluate success based on results of monitoring, and is adaptive. TNC is willing to take on the long-term management with an memorandum of understanding between TNC and the State of Utah.

Several sustainable uses of natural resources will be improved by this Project. TNC utilizes a winter grazing program that will help manage phragmites and also increase the grazing opportunities for the local economy. The project will restore and create wetlands for waterfowl, which will directly increase opportunity for hunters that use the Shorelands Preserve and adjacent areas.