Laketown creek currently has problems with water quality, water quantity, degraded habitat, and fish passage. There is a UTV road that runs up Laketown Canyon and crosses the stream in multiple locations. Four of these crossings are on BLM land and there is erosion which has resulted in the stream running down the road. These crossings were hardened in 2020 by Trout Unlimited, but recent high flows and increased traffic have degraded the crossings. Project leads will need to discuss more durable ways to protect these crossings. The erosion and sedimentation has resulted in loss of water for the irrigation company as well as increased sediment. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout habitat is also degraded from the increase in find sediment.

1. Improve four stream crossings to keep the stream in the channel and out of the road. 2. Decrease sedimentation to improve water quality and stream habitat. 3. Maintain recreational opportunities and wildland fire access by improving road access. 4. These improvements will be done in conjunction with other projects designed to create more complex habitat and perennial stream flow through use of low-tech process based restoration.

In Laketown Creek, road damage from the current stream crossings will continue to increase without maintenance and will result in a decrease in water quality which directly impacts the BCT and residents of Laketown.

1. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy (2019): --This project meets the following recommended conservation actions to: 1) Expand BCT populations and distribution...2) Enhance and maintain habitat. -- Meets goals to manage for adfluvial (migratory populations connected to lakes) in the Bear River geographic management unit (GMU) and maintain all populations within the GMU 2. Utah Wildlife Action Plan (2015) -- Bonneville cutthroat trout are a N4 priority species. -- Key Habitats for Species of Greatest Conservation Need include Riverine and Aquatic Scrub-shrub. 3. UDWR Strategic Plan: this project will help the UDWR meet its Resource Goal, which is to "expand wildlife populations and conserve sensitive species by protecting and improving wildlife habitat. This project will specifically address objectives 2 and 3 of the UDWR Resource Goal, which are to (1) "increase fish and game populations to meet management plan objectives and expand quality fishing and hunting opportunities," and to (2) "conserve sensitive species to prevent them from becoming listed as threatened or endangered." 4. UDWR Bear Lake Management Plan (hydrologic unit 16010201): Identifies dewatering as a major resource issue and a solution of working with irrigators to allow minimum stream flows, especially during cutthroat trout spawning in the spring and egg incubation in the summer. Erosion is also cited as an issue, along with a solution to continue to work with landowners and managers to improve erosion control. Habitat enhancement and maintenance is also specified for cutthroat trout in the plan. 5. Bear Lake Fisheries Management Plan (Utah and Idaho; 2010): The central management objectives of this plan are to: 1) conserve natives species, and 2) enhance sport fishing opportunities in Bear Lake. Both of these objectives will be addressed by this project. Specific management goals for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout include: maintain a viable adfluvial population and a sport fishery. This project will reestablish an adfluvial run of cutthroat trout in North Eden Creek, which will increase native trout recruitment to Bear Lake and the sport fishery. 6. Randolph Management Framework Plan (BLM 1980) -- Designate Laketown Area Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) for purposes of maintaining high water quality and fisheries habitat. 7. Laketown Canyon ACEC (BLM 1989) -- Maintain water quality in Laketown Canyon -- Improve quality of aquatic and riparian habitat -- Maintain recreational opportunities

Maintaining adequate water supply to the Laketown Reservoir and irrigation company will help provide water for wildfire suppression needs.

On Laketown Creek, the intent of this project is to improve water quantity and quality by keeping water in the stream channel and off the road surface. This project will increase water quantity by reducing evaporation and infiltration from the road bed. It will improve water quality by decreasing fine sediment and reducing the risk of contamination from the road such as oil and gasoline spills and leaks.

BLM will comply with all NEPA principles throughout the project. Coordination with the Division of Water rights and City of Laketown will also take place when necessary.

All four Laketown Creek road crossings will be improved to reduce erosion, improve stream habitat, and maintain the travel way. Topographic surveys will be completed at all three sites, including stream longitudinal profiles and cross sections along with the extent and elevations along the travel ways. Survey data will be used to identify the best crossing alternatives for each site, whether that would be hardening of the fords (and type of materials used) or culverts. A construction contractor will be hired to install the fords or culverts during late summer or autumn.

-- Annual inspection will be completed of the stream crossings to ensure they are working as planned. -- Annual water quality monitoring -- Aquatic AIM monitoring to evaluate changes in instream habitat will occur approximately every 5 years -- Irrigation company will notify of any changes or issues with their water supply that may be a result of this project.

-Trout Unlimited -UDWR

In Laketown Creek, BLM will continue to follow the Laketown Canyon ACEC plan and manage the resource according to that plan. This project will improve water quality and quantity, riparian habitat, and Bonneville cutthroat trout habitat and not impact other resource values of the area such as grazing and recreation.

Improving the road crossings on Laketown Creek will sustain and improve access for recreational use and grazing management, as well as improve access for wildland fire response.