The Provo River Delta Restoration Project, supported by the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) and its partners, diverted the Provo River into new delta habitat in 2023 for the benefit of June sucker recovery. The delta is intended to provide rearing habitat for larval and juvenile June sucker, but information on how it functions will be critical for implementing adaptive management of June sucker and nonnative species. Monitoring fish movement throughout, in, and out of the delta is critical for understanding how the fish community is using the new habitat. Fish movement data will also help inform nonnative fish control in and around the delta. The JSRIP supports projects that insert Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) into June sucker that are captured in Utah lake and its tributaries, as well as a subset of fish prior to stocking. Tagged June sucker are monitored on permanent PIT antenna arrays in spawning tributaries (Provo River and Hobble Creek), as well as with portable submersible antennas at other tributaries and in other important habitats (e.g., throughout the Provo River Delta and especially at its four outlet channels). When juvenile June sucker are captured at a size large enough to insert PIT tags, these fish will also be tagged. Monitoring of tagged June sucker provides important demographic information (e.g., population size estimate, survival rates, etc.) as well as ecological information (e.g, spawning behavior, movement patterns, and links to environmental cues that affect timing and success of spawning). The JSRIP proposes to install permanent PIT antenna arrays across the four outlet channels of the Provo River Delta. These arrays will provide directional movement data of PIT tagged June sucker (and other tagged species; see below) that will provide information on timing of movement in and out of the delta, as well as the portion of spawners that move up to spawning habitat in the Provo River. Additionally, more portable antennas (4) and litz cord antenna systems (2) will be purchased to enhance our ability to monitor June sucker in target areas, depending on water levels, flow, and potential new information that raises new questions. These portable antennas will provide important flexibility and allow the JSRIP to respond to changing conditions more nimbly. The portable antennas do experience relatively high rate of attrition due to harsh conditions in the lake and those proposed for purchase here will replace a number of antenna that have reached their natural life span. An added benefit of the expanded PIT antenna system will be the potential application for nonnnative fish control. The JSRIP and partners are developing a nonnative fish control strategy that will likely involve PIT tagging common carp and potentially a subset of Northern pike. The expanded PIT antenna system will also be available to help evaluate movement of these problematic nonnative species throughout the delta and will provide information on timing and location for potential control efforts.

Task 1: Purchase and install permanent PIT antennas across the four outlet channels in the Provo River Delta. Task 2: Purchase 4 submersible portable PIT antennas ("Wagon wheels") and associated equipment (batteries, battery chargers, etc.) Task 3: Purchase 2 litz cord PIT antenna systems

The Provo River Delta is anticipated to be important habitat for juvenile June sucker. As we enter the second year of its completion, JSRIP needs expanded monitoring ability to evaluate June sucker use of the habitat. In addition, it will be important to protect the habitat and the June sucker using it from nonnative fish.

This project supports the JSRIP, its' program document and the "June Sucker (Chasmistes liorus) Recovery Plan" (1999)

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Because the JSRIP has federal partners and federal funds are contributed annually to the program, an Environmental Assessment was completed for federal participation in the program. Additional NEPA compliance may be necessary and will be conducted on an as-needed basis for specific projects implemented under the JSRIP. Past projects that have required NEPA compliance include the removal of carp from Utah Lake, habitat restoration on Hobble Creek, rehabilitation of Red Butte Reservoir, the augmentation of flows in Hobble Creek, and the Provo River Delta Restoration Project.

JSRIP (CUWCD) will contract with BioMark to produce and install (permanent arrays) the PIT antennas.

Data from the PIT antennas will be evaluated at least annually, but as often as weekly, to ensure adequate performance of the antennas. Initially, the data will be monitored frequently to make sure antennas are performing as expected. The monitoring data will be incorporated into June sucker population models and will inform future JSRIP recovery actions.

The JSRIP administers contributions from the JSRIP partners. The projects listed in this application have been approved by the JSRIP Administration Committee and will be administered by the Program Director's Office at DNR and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD). The JSRIP is a collaborative program among state, federal and local entities including DNR and its divisions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission (URMCC), the Central Utah Water Conservancy District (CUWCD), the Provo River Water Users Association (PRWUA), the Provo Reservoir Water Users Company (represented by Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District), the Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) and an outdoor and environmental interests representative. On an annual basis each partner contributes funding and/or in-kind services commensurate with their respective role in the recovery effort.

The new PIT antennas will be maintained by JSRIP partners, with the assistance of BioMark. The portable antennas are expected to have a limited functional life span due to significant wear and tear when deployed in the lake and tributaries. These will be replaced as needed and as funds allow.

One of the biggest impacts this program has is on the sustainability of the Provo River in the lower reaches as well as on Hobble Creek. Without this program and it's projects, both of these rivers/creeks would be very dry on drought years. The carp removal has also positively impacted the composition of fish in Utah Lake and it's ecosystem. The PIT arrays will help inform our carp

07/01/2024

06/30/2025

2025

Task 1: CUWCD/JSRIP Purchases and installed permanent PIT antennas across the four outlet channels in the Provo River Delta. Antennas are powered by solar panels installed in secure locations along the former skipper bay dyke. Antennas were installed October 2024 and were fully functional for the spring 2025 June sucker spawning season. Task 2: CUWCD/JSRIP Purchased 4 submersible portable PIT antennas ("Wagon wheels") and associated equipment (batteries, battery chargers, etc.) Task 3: CUWCD/JSRIP purchased 2 litz cord PIT antenna systems

The Provo River Delta Restoration Project, supported by the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) and its partners, diverted the Provo River into new delta habitat in 2023 for the benefit of June sucker recovery. The delta is intended to provide rearing habitat for larval and juvenile June sucker, but information on how it functions will be critical for implementing adaptive management of June sucker and nonnative species. Monitoring fish movement throughout, in, and out of the delta is critical for understanding how the fish community is using the new habitat. Fish movement data will also help inform nonnative fish control in and around the delta. The JSRIP supports projects that insert Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) into June sucker that are captured in Utah lake and its tributaries, as well as a subset of fish prior to stocking. Tagged June sucker are monitored on permanent PIT antenna arrays in spawning tributaries (Provo River and Hobble Creek), as well as with portable submersible antennas at other tributaries and in other important habitats (e.g., throughout the Provo River Delta and especially at its four outlet channels). When juvenile June sucker are captured at a size large enough to insert PIT tags, these fish will also be tagged. Monitoring of tagged June sucker provides important demographic information (e.g., population size estimate, survival rates, etc.) as well as ecological information (e.g, spawning behavior, movement patterns, and links to environmental cues that affect timing and success of spawning). The JSRIP installed permanent PIT antenna arrays across the four outlet channels of the Provo River Delta. These arrays will provide directional movement data of PIT tagged June sucker (and other tagged species; see below) that will provide information on timing of movement in and out of the delta, as well as the portion of spawners that move up to spawning habitat in the Provo River. Additionally, more portable antennas (4) and litz cord antenna systems (2) were purchased to enhance our ability to monitor June sucker in target areas, depending on water levels, flow, and potential new information that raises new questions. These portable antennas provide important flexibility and allow the JSRIP to respond to changing conditions more nimbly. The portable antennas do experience relatively high rate of attrition due to harsh conditions in the lake and those purchased with this grant replaced a number of antenna that reached their natural life span. An added benefit of the expanded PIT antenna system is the application for nonnnative fish control. The JSRIP and partners are developing a nonnative fish control strategy that involves PIT tagging common carp and potentially a subset of Northern pike. The expanded PIT antenna system was also available in 2025 to help evaluate movement of these problematic nonnative species throughout the delta and will provide information on timing and location for potential control efforts in the future.

The new PIT antennas will be maintained by JSRIP partners, with the assistance of BioMark. The portable antennas are expected to have a limited functional life span due to significant wear and tear when deployed in the lake and tributaries. These will be replaced as needed and as funds allow.