In 2009, the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) conducted habitat restoration at the Hobble Creek WMA, where Hobble Creek interfaces with Utah Lake. The purpose of the restoration was to develop a secondary spawning tributary for June sucker and to provide habitat for larval and juvenile June sucker. To date, the project has been successful and has resulted in some of the only detection of natural recruitment of YOY and age-1 June sucker since listing of the species on the ESA in 1986. However, the area requires habitat maintenance, including noxious weed control. JSRIP works with partners to maintain the habitat and contracts annually with Bio-WEST, Inc to conduct noxious weed spraying and mowing.

Task 1 - Pay for 2024 noxious weed control via spraying and mowing/mashing at Hobble Creek Restoration Site

Ongoing maintenance is necessary to maintain important June sucker habitat. Detections of young of year and age-1 June sucker have been increasing in recent years at the project site. Noxious weed control will help continue this success.

June Sucker Recovery Plan (FWS, 1999)

Although fire risk is relatively low in the wetland area, reducing noxious weed biomass will help reduce fire risk in dry years.

Reduction of noxious weeds, especially Phragmites, can help increase water availability.

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. All weed spraying will be conducted by Utah licensed commercial herbicide applicators.

Based on 2023 noxious weed treatments, BIO-WEST proposes three separate spraying events in order to target the different weed species known to occur onsite. This will consist of an early summer, mid-summer, and late-fall treatment. The early summer and midsummer treatments are designed to treat noxious weeds emerging either as rosettes or in vegetative form prior to floral development. These species include: scotch thistle (Onopordium acanthium), burdock (Arctium minus), hoary cress (Cardaria draba), perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium), and Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense).

Weed growth will be monitored to evaluate effectiveness of weed control.

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.

Weed control in the Hobble Creek Restoration area will be ongoing. The JSRIP is interested in pursuing other options for this weed control, including working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources habitat section to conduct the work related to their management of the Utah Wetlands Preserve. Even then, JSRIP will need funding to go toward this weed control.

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.

07/01/2024

06/30/2025

2025

Final methodology did not change from the original proposal. Details are provided here via an excerpt from the report to the Central Utah Water Conservancy District from the contractor, BIOWEST. "BIOWEST implemented noxious weed control in 2024 using a combination of herbicide and mechanical treatments. Control techniques included utilizing OHV's, backpack sprayers, and approved herbicide appropriate for the targeted species. Phragmites continues to be the District's primary concern. Studies suggest chemical control is most effective when integrated with other control methods such as mowing, mashing, and burning (Cranney 2016). BIO-WEST utilized an Argo® 8-wheel amphibious ATV equipped with tracks and a sprayer tank to mash down phragmites patches that have been inaccessible in the past. Mashing with this equipment has given herbicide applicator personnel access to untreated phragmites "islands." The mashing events were followed by herbicide applications in May, July, and September 2024. The May treatment targeted hoary cress, scotch thistle, perennial pepperweed, Canada thistle, kochia, and other broadleaf invasives. The July treatment targeted kochia and regrowing phragmites plants within the mashed patches to control the aboveground growth prior to its forming inflorescence. The late-fall herbicide treatment is effective at encouraging the species to translocate nutrients, along with herbicide, to belowground parts, thus killing the rhizomes, the plant's extensive underground root system."

In 2009, the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (JSRIP) conducted habitat restoration at the Hobble Creek WMA, where Hobble Creek interfaces with Utah Lake. The purpose of the restoration was to develop a secondary spawning tributary for June sucker and to provide habitat for larval and juvenile June sucker. To date, the project has been successful and has resulted in some of the only detection of natural recruitment of YOY and age-1 June sucker since listing of the species on the ESA in 1986. However, the area requires habitat maintenance, including noxious weed control. JSRIP works with partners to maintain the habitat and contracts annually with Bio-WEST, Inc to conduct noxious weed spraying and mowing.

Weed control in the Hobble Creek Restoration area will be ongoing. The JSRIP is interested in pursuing other options for this weed control, including working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources habitat section to conduct the work related to their management of the Utah Wetlands Preserve. Even then, JSRIP will need funding to go toward this weed control.