Pariette Wetlands was created in the late 1970's through a cooperative BLM-UDWR Sikes Act Management Plan to improve fish and wildlife habitat on public lands. The wetlands are comprised of 10,627 acres (7931 Desert Upland, 2696 Riparian), and is situated within a 22,000 acre Federally designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). Pariette was designated as an ACEC to "address protection of special status bird and plant species and habitat, wetlands ecosystems, waterfowl production, and soils, to enhance and protect the wetlands community and associated habitat adjacent to Pariette and Castle Peak Washes, and to provide habitat necessary for waterfowl production and sensitive raptor prey base and nesting habitat". These designations were put forth in the Myton Habitat Management Plan, the Diamond Mountain Resource Management Plan, and further refined in the Vernal Field Office current Resource Management Plan. Pariette is a gravity fed complex with 22 ponds comprising approximately 450 surface acres, and 1100 acres of native wet meadows. The water control system consists of 4.7 miles of dikes, 4.6 miles of irrigation ditches, four water diversion structures from Pariette Wash, 1200 feet of culverts, 62 head-gates, and 22 risers to control water levels. In addition to rehabilitating and replacing many of these structures, this project will repair roads, remove invasive trees, plant native seed and cottonwoods, replace gabions, dredge ponds of accumulated sediment, fix overland water flow issues, and construct and repair recreational infrastructure. These projects will be carried out over multiple years, subject to labor/contracting constraints and available funding. Critics of this project claim it is an artificial wetland, however, that does not change its legal status as a wetland and it's contributions to recreation, ecosystem services, and wildlife habitat. Approximately 90% of wetlands have been lost across the United states since the 1700's, therefore it is imperative that existing wetlands be protected and preserved for the benefit of future generations. Additionally, conversations are currently occurring with UDWR/USFWS in relation to raising native/endangered fishes in the ponds at Pariette (specifically Boneytail and Roundtail Chubs). However, these efforts will not be attempted until critical infrastructure is repaired. Species benefits: Multiple species will benefit from the implementation of this project. Some benefits are obvious, and some may be less obvious and linked to a functional wetland ecosystem. Big game animals such as deer, elk, black bear, and pronghorn will benefit from the heightened availability of water sources and high quality forage. Although no DWR game collar data exists for this area, BLM staff regularly see these big game species using Pariette. This is also true for wild turkey and pheasant. Avian diversity is extremely high at Pariette. All listed waterfowl will benefit from increased pond area and food sources. Specifically, Pariette was originally designed for three different feeding methods employed by various waterfowl. This was accomplished by providing shallow water habitat (1-6 inch depth), dabbler habitat (6 inch to 3 feet depth), and deep water or diver habitat (>3 feet depth). While these ponds still exist on the landscape, the BLM is currently unable to fill them and manage the depths due to failed infrastructure. Additionally, restoration of this infrastructure will allow the BLM to draw down and refill ponds at various times in order to grow food for migrating waterfowl (ie drain after spring migration, refill for fall migration). These benefits coincide with the American white pelican, sandhill crane, Canada goose, cinnamon teal, gadwall, mallard, redhead, swans, and other ducks/waterfowl. These actions will also benefit all raptor species (bald eagle, peregrine, other raptors) by providing a prey base and nesting habitat. Monarchs and bumble bees will benefit from the planting of native flowering plants and providing roost areas with planted cottonwoods. Northern leopard frogs will benefit from more ponds on the landscape, as will all bat species in the area due to increased food availability. The Uintah basin hookless cactus will benefit from the continued conservation and monitoring provided by this project.

Repair and restore failed infrastructure to return Pariette to a functional state. This project will repair roads, remove invasive trees, plant native seed and cottonwoods, replace gabions, dredge ponds of accumulated sediment, fix overland water flow issues, and construct and repair recreational infrastructure. Additionally, this project will repair/replace head gates and stoplog structures on the redhead dam and rehabilitate the fish fountain, and replace the trash rack/screen at the inlet of the wetland complex.

UDWR and the BLM committed to jointly manage and maintain Pariette wetlands upon it's construction in the 1970's. These efforts have fallen off in recent years, thus the timing is past due to repair and rehabilitate one of the most important ecosystem types that we manage; wetlands. Following the success of our joint diversion replacement project (6731), BLM seeks to continue improvements and repairs. Additionally, water is becoming more and more scarce in the western U.S., and having proofed our water rights in 2023, the BLM seeks to repair all failed infrastructure and place all of it on a repeating management/maintenance schedule that will be a part of BLM/UDWR's Integrated Activity Plan for Pariette wetlands. This project will serve the Vernal BLM's Resource Management Plan, and the Myton Habitat Management Plan, both of which govern Pariette. Additionally, fixing infrastructure and rehabilitating Pariette to a functional state will allow the BLM to formulate a detailed maintenance and management plan.

VERNAL APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Special Designations: Areas of Critical Environmental Concern ACEC-11 Pariette Wetlands (10,627 acres) will continue to be designated as an ACEC. A comprehensive integrated activity plan will be developed/implemented that will address protection of special status bird and plant species and habitat, wetlands ecosystem, waterfowl production, and soil. OHV use will be limited to designated routes. Visual Resources will be managed as Class III. The project area not only overlaps the plan objective, it is the plan objective for the Special Designations section of the Vernal RMP for the Pariette Wetlands ACEC. The relevance of this project is directly proportional to the successful implementation of the plan through the protection of special status bird and plant species and habitat, wetlands ecosystem, waterfowl production, and soil once this project is successfully completed. MYTON HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Wetlands Management Objectives a. Expand wetland habitat including waterfowl and shorebird habitat b. Provide upland game bird habitat, protecting and enhancing avian prey base and habitat conditions for the peregrine falcon. c. Protect threatened cactus, and provide suitable nesting and feeding habitat for migrating greater sandhill cranes and whooping cranes. Planned Actions to Meet Objectives a. Obtain water rights b. Modify water control structures c. Compile water quality and flow data d. Manage prescribed and wild fire e. Irrigate cereal and grain crops for wildlife The project area completely overlaps and ties in the Wetlands Management Objectives of the Myton HMP. The relevance of the project is directly proportional to the successful implementation of the plan by achieving objectives a., b., and c., of the Myton HMP Wetlands Management Objectives, and by applying planned actions b., and e., of the Planned Actions to Meet Wetland Management Objectives. UTAH WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN-2015 Threat - Sediment Transport Imbalance 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. Potential Indicators of Success Reaching this Objective 1. Working to restore a more natural hydrograph (spring peak) is part of reaching sediment balance. 2. Sediment transport supports natural ecology or sufficiently promotes native species reproduction. Potential Conservation Actions Code Action 2.1.12 Build new or retrofit old dams with proven features designed to pass sediment. 2.1.13 Work with water users/reservoir operators to identify reservoirs where loss of storage due to sediment input is a concern. The project area overlaps the objective of the Utah WAP by addressing the threat of Sediment Transport Imbalance. The relevance of this project to the successful implementation of the Utah WAP is directly proportional to the objective listed under this threat by modifying outflow management and simulate or return natural sediment transport. The potential indicator of success reaching this objective will include (#2) Sediment transport supports natural ecology of sufficiently promotes native species reproduction; and, the potential conservation actions code addressed as a result will be code 2.1.13, work with water users/reservoir operators to identify reservoirs where loss of storage due to sediment input is a concern. UTAH MULE DEER STATEWIDE MANAGEMENT PLAN Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. Strategies: b. Work with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional Watershed Restoration Initiative working groups to identify and prioritize mule deer habitats that are in need of enhancement or restoration. e. Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. This project overlaps the Habitat Objective 2 by reducing non-native and noxious weeds within the wetland complex and generating more suitable crucial habitat for mule deer. The strategies used to achieve project overlap include implementing b., and e., under the Habitat Objective 2 of the Plan. UINTAH COUNTY RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN Riparian and Wetland Areas Objectives and Policies 20.4.2 Conserve and protect riparian areas through application of best management practices 20.4.12 Encourage efforts to enhance streambeds and control erosion. Increase coverage and composition of vegetation. 20.4.17 Participate in federal, tribal, state, and local wetland conservation planning processes. This project overlaps the objectives and policies under the riparian and wetland areas section of the Plan by applying policy 20.4.2, 20.4.12, and 20.4.17 through the implementation and completion of the project.

he overall management scenario for the wetland system is to create, maintain, and improve adequate nesting habitat for water obligate species. Data shows the optimum vegetation community needed for this scenario is reached when a 50:50 ratio of vegetation to open water is achieved. Due to the inability of adequately distributing water throughout the system combined with continual wet/dry cycles, that ratio has shifted to approximately 80:20. In order to return the system to the desired equilibrium it is necessary to utilize fire to reduce the excessive fuel load, however, adequate water is also needed in order to inundate the burn and hold back regeneration. In working toward this goal the BLM has recently finalized an Environmental Assessment (EA) that specifically addresses a burn plan for the wetland complex. This plan has been implemented bi-annually since fall of 2020. The successful completion of this project will complement that burn plan in order to achieve the optimum nesting, foraging, and loafing critical habitat desired by providing the ability to adequately store and transfer water to these burn sites when needed. Once implemented this burn plan will significantly reduce the fuel load within the system and by having adequate water delivery the continuity of regenerating excessive fuel loads will be interrupted and greatly reduced thus creating less need to burn and provide greater ability to manage critical habitat. In addition, the implementation of the burn plan will reduce excessive fuel loads which currently threaten permanent infrastructures in place. As previously mentioned the wetland complex is a gravity fed system which equates to permanent structures installed within, and adjacent to all the ponds within the complex. By removing the excess fuel load and actively managing to keep the fuel load reduced these structures will realize a longer life expectancy which will ultimately provide a significant reduction in replacement costs. Additionally, there are several primitive camp sites located within the wetland complex and excessive fuel loads have inundated the areas surrounding these sites. A reduction in the fuel load around these recreation sites along with active post-burn management will generate far less risk to the public who utilizes them. Because the overall management objective for the wetland complex is to manage habitat for water obligate species, the burn plan priority is targeting the excessive fuel load in and around the 21 ponds within all four management units. This equates to approximately 1600 acres throughout the four management units and includes pond surface areas, pond perimeters and wet meadows. In addition, and due to the inability to adequately distribute water in the past which as generated an excessive amount of noxious, invasive, and undesirable plant species overland, the secondary priority is to also burn these areas in order to bring back desirable species for the benefit of all wildlife utilizing the wetlands. This secondary priority will include approximately 4.6 miles of irrigation ditches, 4.2 miles of riparian habitat and the removal of excessive fuel loads along 4.7 miles of dikes. Additionally, contracting youth crews to manually remove invasive woody species will further reduce the risk of severe wildfire and be complimentary to prescribed burning efforts that occur bi-annually at Pariette.

This project has the potential to significantly improve water quality within the wetland complex. Benefits resulting from the successful completion of this project include the reduction of severe wildfire as a result of fuel overload. By implementing the BLM burn plan to reduce significant fuel overload and having the ability to properly store and distribute water, fuels overload would be kept to a minimum thereby reducing the risk of severe wildfire. In addition, after the successful completion of this project, water will be able to be properly stored and transported to the management units appropriately without overland flooding occurring. The result of which will significantly reduce adding pollutants to the system through percolation and reducing the amount of sediment transport within, and out of, the system. Additional benefits of improved water quality will be realized by addressing the excess TMDL's and impaired status of the Pariette Watershed by the UDEQ. By eliminating or reducing the addition of pollutants through percolation and reducing sediment load transfer the wetland complex will begin to adequately process, store and uptake associated heavy metals and the reduction of sediment load will aid in a reduction of sediment transport to the Green River ecosystem, all of which will aid in reducing the TMDL's within the watershed. Specifically, selenium will be mitigated even further by restoring the functional acreage of the wetland. Current estimates of selenium reduction are around 70-90% from the top to the bottom of the wetland. This project also has the potential to increase water quantity within the wetland complex. After the successful completion of this project water will no longer be wasted by overland flow. That portion of water will now be a benefit by remaining instream and will help to maintain those flows. In addition, when the burn plan and this project are implemented in concert, changes in the vegetation class will occur through the removal of water gorging plants including Saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) which will be in part accomplished through the contracted through a youth crew. The expected outcome will be an elevation in hydrologic storage capacity.

This project is in compliance with the Environmental Assessment (EA) and Habitat Management Plan (HMP) written for Pariette Wetlands. Through analysis of the EA, it was recognized that all the infrastructure was subject to replacement over time due to environmental factors degrading those structures. Subsequently, the document allows for the replacement of those structures as long as the replacement occurs on the same footprint as the original disturbance and no new disturbance is realized. This project is also in compliance with Section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act and is exempt from permitting requirements under categories 1, Normal farming, silviculture and ranching activities; 2, Maintenance Activities; and 3, Construction and maintenance of farm ponds, stock ponds, or irrigation ditches or the maintenance of drainage ditches, of the Clean Water Act Exemptions. In addition, this project is covered by the Nationwide Permit (NWP) issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Section 3. Maintenance, Paragraph (a); The repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of any previously authorized, currently serviceable structure or fill, or of any currently serviceable structure or fill authorized by 33 CFR 330.3, provided that the structure or fill is not to be put to uses differing from those uses specified or contemplated for it in the original permit or the most recently authorized modification. Minor deviations in the structure's configuration or filled area, including those due to changes in materials, construction, techniques, requirements of other regulatory agencies, or current construction codes or safety standards that are necessary to make the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement are authorized. This NWP also authorizes the removal of previously authorized structures or fills. Any stream channel modification is limited to the minimum necessary for the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of the structure or fill; such modifications, including the removal of material from the stream channel, must be immediately adjacent to the project. This NWP also authorizes the removal of accumulated sediment and debris within, and in the immediate vicinity of, the structure or fill. This NWP also authorizes the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of those structures or fills destroyed or damaged by storms, floods, fire or other discrete events, provided the repair, rehabilitation, or replacement is commenced, or is under contract to commence, within two years of the date of their destruction or damage. In cases of catastrophic events, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, this two-year limit may be waived by the district engineer, provided the permittee can demonstrate funding, contract, or other similar delays.

Construction of 22 pre-cast concrete risers will be contracted by the BLM or UDWR. This contract will include casting sections of culvert into the back of the risers to aid installation efforts. Installation will be jointly accomplished by UDWR and BLM equipment crews and/or contracts. Road repair to accommodate hunters and recreationalists will consist of repairing cuts on dams and dikes, hauling in and spreading road base, and installing culverts in high rain flow areas where there is existing road damage. Tree removal will be accomplished via a collaborative effort by UDWR/BLM equipment crews, prescribed burning, and youth crews. Maintenance of tree removal areas will be emphasized by treating re-sprouts with herbicide. Native seed mix will be purchased from GBRC (the mix is already existing) and distributed in construction areas as well as along walking paths, along pond edges, and areas that are selected to increase the survival rates of seed. Cottonwoods will be purchased from greenhouses and transplanted from adjacent BLM lands. There are three locations where rock baskets/gabions need to be replaced, this will aid in the filtration of water in the Pariette wash and limit sedimentation. These gabions will be filled partially with rock on site, and partially from rock hauled in that is free of artificial materials (i.e. asphault). Ponds will also be dredged of accumulated sediment, deepening them to aid in efforts to keep water in them year round. Several areas have been identified where there is a need to fix overland water flow issues, this will be accomplished by building earthen dams. Construction and repair of recreational infrastructure will consist of replacing worn out walking paths, benches, tables, and bridges. Repairs on the redhead dam will consist of purchasing and installing a new head gate, rehabilitating the fish fountain, and repairing gabions. Replacing the trash rack at the inlet will consist of fabricating and installing a trash rack. Restoration of the Pariette wash upstream to Pleasant Valley along the entire length of the Pariette ACEC will focus on erosion control and sediment retention to extend the life of the ponds by limiting inputs of sedimentation. Methods for low-tech stream restoration can be seen in the documents section.

Monitoring will consist of checking for leaks around repaired/replaced water control structures, monitoring native seed germination/survival, cottonwood survival, weed control, treatments of re-sprouting russian olive and tamarisk, and visitor use/satisfaction surveys.

USFWS, UDWR, USU, GBRC, UCC, Ducks unlimited.

In general, future management will include applying techniques to raise and lower water levels to achieve habitat objectives for multitude of species. Lower water for shore birds, puddle ducks, and brood rearing habitat for pheasants and quail. Raise water levels for waterfowl brood rearing habitat, diver ducks, swans, and others species. Increase prescribed fire regime intervals contingent on where water placement and draw downs will be each year. Plant annual food plots, perennial nesting and brood rearing habitat in areas where weeds have been reduced. More specifically, management objectives for the wetland complex will continue to follow the prescriptions set forth within the Myton Habitat Management Plan (HMP) (attached). Methods described there, and efforts described herein, will inform the development of an Integrated Activity Plan. The long term goals for Pariette are to establish a maintenance schedule, establish continuous funding from BLM nationals, purchase and maintenance of heavy equipment that will stay on site, and the development of biological research to include graduate student investigations of soil dynamics, water dynamics and hydrology, ecosystem stability, effects of burning on macroinvertebrate communities, effects of macroinvertebrate communities on waterfowl production, predator prey interactions, and various other studies that will continue to inform management efforts nationwide upon publication.

The potential for this project to improve quality sustainable uses is extremely high for recreation. Currently, most visitor usage in the wetland complex includes hunting, botanical, and bird watching. After completion of this project expected increases in both flora and fauna will be realized due to habitat improvement. This in turn will improve the quality of the visitor experience. In addition, the quantity of sustainable uses will be realized by eliminating, or significantly reducing large stands of Salt cedar and Russian Olive within the riparian area of the wetland complex. Removing invasive woody vegetation will facilitate the re-establishment of perennial grasses, native forbs, and shrubs that have much higher forage value than invasive species. Additionally, creating a diverse ecosystem in terms of high ecological functional redundancy and species diversity will ensure that the Pariette community will be buffered against the effects of climate change, including changing temperatures and hydrological regimes. This project is unique, in that it is guaranteed to work and restore valuable wetland habitat, benefiting all species found in the species list. It is not experimental, it is the replacement of failed infrastructure that will effectively double our functional habitat on the landscape.