Angler access along the LPR has historically been very open and prevalent. In recent years with landownership changes and some disputes over angler access easements anglers have had a harder time finding or feeling safe to fish along the LPR. One of the ways in which anglers are continuing to access and fish the LPR is by floating the river and fishing from rafts. The area that is becoming more heavily used is this area just below Deer Creek Dam where the steep bank is deteriating to the point that it is becoming unsafe for anglers and other recreationists to get their rafts to the water. In order to meet the angling demand and provide a safe way for anglers to launch their rafts a gradual slope and boat ramp is needed to make this happen.

Install a cement boat ramp to make it safer for anglers to launch non-motorized boats/rafts into the LPR enabling anglers to float and fish the LPR. Prevent future erosion and additional sediment input into the LPR from this area. This will also help and benefit the various trout species in the LPR including; Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Mountain Whitefish and Bonneville Cutthroat Trout. These are the fish species anglers target in the LPR. This project will allow anglers to continue to have access these fish species as they fish the LPR.

The amount of use that is being seen on the LPR especially on weekends during the summer is in the thousands and thousands of individuals launching and taking out of the river. If something isn't done now the risk is very real for someone to be seriously injured trying to walk down the steep banks or even the loss of life should they fall into the river. This location is publicly owned by Bureau of Reclamation and managed by Deer Creek State Park and provides an area in which anglers and recreationists will be able to legally and safely enter the river. Additional boat takeout areas will be improved or created near Vivian Park Bridge and the Tunnels area along Hwy-189 to provide a safe area for people to exit the river safely without increased erosion on the steep banks. Recent private land purchases has resulted in the loss of historical angler access and this continues to cause access issues along the LPR. This public access needs to be solidified and secured before any further purchases are made and restrict access more and potential in the area we are proposing to install boat ramps and take outs. The amount of recreation on the LPR continues to increase exponentially and with the loss of access to portions of the LPR the need to do something to sustain or continue to provide angling opportunities can no longer be postponed. Lastly Deer Creek State Park is planning an extensive boat ramp, parking lot, hand rail, steps, riprap and pavement of the access roads from Hwy-189 down to the river. We are partnering with this State Park/BOR project planned to be implemented in 2024 to meet the exponentially growing recreational needs on the LPR.

This work and the species associated with this projects are supported by various plans and documents including the following: Recreation Restoration Infrastructure Grant and Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant where funds are awarded to restore high-use and high priority areas of developed recreation infrastructure on public lands have been secured and utilized. Out partnership and contribution will assist these groups and management efforts to meet the demands being placed on the LPR. 2015. Utah Wildlife Action Plan 2015-2025. Project goals address major threats including "fire and fire suppression", "channel downcutting", "improper sediment balance", etc. and addresses threats to multiple WAP species, both aquatic and terrestrial. Utah County RMP: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Cn80Wzst8eoa0o_BqoTBHOPfPm8M6MIe Document cites need and County support for the following items that are applicable to this project: Fisheries (p35) Floodplains and River Terraces (p39) Recreation and Tourism (p72) Riparian Areas (p75) Threatened, Endangered, & Sensitive Species (p78) Water Quality and Hydrology (p81) Wetlands (p90).

No real connection to fire and fuels impacts.

Establishing a cement boat ramp will reduce continual erosion as anglers and recreationists continue to try and walk down the steep bank resulting in more and more sedimentation and deteriation of the river bank. The ultimate result will be better water quality in the Provo River Watershed while still allowing for safe angler and recreational use of the resource.

Any stream alteration permits required for the construction of boat ramps or takes out will be completed by UDWR before construction begins.

The boat ramp will be engineered to meet safety and construction specs. In addition to the cement boat ramp, large rocks will be strategically placed in both the boat ramp area and the take out locations to prevent erosion impacts during high flows.

Future fish population monitoring will take place at the proposed boat ramp site where UDWR will launch pontoon boat electrofisher and other equipment. We will also monitor the angler use of the site through angler creel surveys. This future data will be compared to the angler creel survey that is being conducted during 2023.

Partners will include: Deer Creek State Park, Bureau of Reclamation, Utah County Parks Department, Utah Department of Transportation.

Additional repairs will be made should they be needed as anglers and other recreationists use the new boat ramp into the future.

This new boat ramp will allow anglers and recreationists to once again or continue to access and fish the LPR. It will also allow UDWR biologists to access the LPR with monitoring pontoon-boats and equipment when conducting surveys at this location every 3-5 years. The last creel survey of anglers completed on the LPR in 2004 reported that approximately 28,000 hours per mile are exerted on the LPR resulting in an economic impact of $294,000 annually per mile of river. The fish resources in the LPR are extremely heavily used by anglers and other recreationists as well.