Milfoil Treatment of Pier Pond at Lower Stillwater
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Project ID: 6751
Status: Completed
Fiscal Year: 2024
Submitted By:
N/A
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Project Manager: Natalie Boren
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Northeastern Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Northeastern
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Description:
Pier pond is a 3.1 acre pond located in the Lower Stillwater pond fishing complex. This particular pond is managed as our family style opportunity fishery. A mix of northern and Eurasian water milfoil has taken over the pond and made fishing it extremely difficult. This project would work with the USFS to permit and execute the treatment using ProcellaCOR.
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Location:
Lower Stillwater Ponds complex, 15 miles northwest of Mountain Home, Utah. Northeastern Region.
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Project Need
Need For Project:
Lower Stillwater ponds are a recently designated Blue Ribbon fishery located at the mouth of the Rock Creek drainage. The complex has 15 total ponds of which 8 are actively managed by the UDWR and USFS. Pier pond is 3.1 acres and is managed as our opportunity water for rainbow trout. This pond receives 24% of all the angling pressure in this complex. This last summer we noticed a significant increase in the abundance and surface coverage of milfoil in this pond. In August and September, the milfoil mats were so thick and widespread fishing the ponds became almost impossible from both of the fishing piers. ProcellaCOR has been used in the NER on several ponds and has been very successful at knocking back this aquatic plant.
Objectives:
1-Purchase ProcellaCOR to treat 3.1 acre of open water in Pier Pond.
2- Work with the USFS fisheries staff and our UDWR AIS regional lead to implement a treatment of Pier Pond in Fall of 2023.
3- Monitor the pond over time to assess effectiveness of the treatment and possible use in other small ponds as well.
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
Fishing ponds become unusable for anglers during certain times of the year.
Relation To Management Plan:
Lower Stillwater Ponds fisheries management plan- Stocking and management of Pier Pond as an opportunity fishery for rainbow trout.
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
Increase water quality by eliminating a noxious aquatic plant.
Compliance:
USFS approval and treatment plan (in progress)
Methods:
Create a treatment plan in conjunction with the USFS. Purchase ProcellaCOR product to treat 3.1 surface acres of Pier Pond. Rig up a boat with a pumping system to properly apply the product and treat the pond according the the EPA label.
Monitoring:
Conduct vegetation surveys on the pond each fall for 3 years post treatment, determine if any milfoil regrowth is occurring.
Partners:
Forest Service staff in Duchesne
Future Management:
Continue to manage Pier Pond as well as the other 7 ponds in the complex as an important regional Blue Ribbon fishery.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
N/A
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $4,500.00 | $0.00 | $4,500.00 | $1,400.00 | $5,900.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials and Supplies | ProcellaCOR aquatic herbicide to 3.1 acres + materials to build application system for a small canoe or kayak to complete the treatment. | $4,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2024 |
| Personal Services (permanent employee) | Sportfish and AIS biologist's time planning, constructing the application boat system and implementing the treatment. 40 hours total time between the two people | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,400.00 | 2024 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $4,500.00 | $0.00 | $4,500.00 | $1,400.00 | $5,900.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ribbon (Restricted) | QBRR | $4,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2024 | |
| Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) | UDWR staff time implementing the treatment to save on overall cost to complete the project (not hiring professional SeaPro staff to conduct this small treatment). | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,400.00 | 2024 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
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| Rainbow Trout | R5 | |||||
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Habitats
| Habitat | ||||
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| Open Water | ||||
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Project Comments
| Comment | 01/23/2024 | Type: 1 | Commenter: Anthony Christianson |
| This project will assist with the DWR's Wildlife Recreation Program. It would make angler experiences better by ensuring there was access for anglers of all ages to participate at the waterbody. With improved access to the ponds, the location could be a viable option for a summer youth fishing mentorship program partnership between DWR and Utah Department of Health and Human Services. | |||
Completion
Start Date:
08/23/2023
End Date:
08/24/2023
FY Implemented:
2024
Final Methods:
Hired Aquatechnex to purchase and apply ProcellaCOR to pier pond at Lower Stillwater. Project was coordinated by regional AIS Bio, Sportfish BIO and FS Bio. Project was completed in just a few hours.
Project Narrative:
Pier pond at Lower Stillwater had a heavy infestation of Northern Watermilfoil. Vegetation cover was so thick, anglers could not cast into the ponds from either of the fishing piers. This project was implemented for management of aquatic vegetation to allow for better angler access when fishing this particular pond. Prior to the treatment, UDWR staff created a new bathametric map of Pier Pond to estimate volume of the pond for a more exact product volume.
Future Management:
We will monitor this application over the next 3 years to evaluate success and long term longevity of the treatment. If deemed successful we will likely treat one additional pond on the complex that is heavily inundated with watermilfoil.
Map Features
| ID | Feature Category | Action | Treatement/Type |
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| 12644 | Aquatic/Riparian Treatment Area | Herbicide application | Spot treatment |
Project Map
