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Emergency maintenance of Nebo Creek fish barrier to Protect Bonneville cutthroat trout
Region: Central
ID: 6826
Project Status: Completed
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Project Details
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Need for Project
Large precipitation events in May 2023 within the Pole Canyon fire scar caused high runoff and extensive debris flows within Nebo Creek. The flows caused significant damage to a fish barrier (drop structure) isolating an upstream population of Bonneville cutthroat trout from downstream nonnative Brown Trout. The flows damaged portions of the south barrier wall as water overtopped the structure and eroded the soil and concrete blocks. Woody debris mobilized by the high flows also created a jam which further redirected energy to the sides of the barrier wall. Some concrete blocks composing the north wall were also moved downstream. The barrier is still currently functioning to prevent upstream movement of Brown Trout, but its uncertain it can withstand another high flow event without failing.
Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.
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Objectives
1. Rebuild and stabilize impacted barrier walls. 2. Stabilize upstream and downstream riparian areas to prevent future lateral migration of stream as it interfaces with barrier 3. Reseed/revegetate disturbed area
Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.
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Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?)
High risk of barrier failure if another high precipitation event or abnormally high spring runoff occurs. If barrier fails brown trout will invade a successfully reproducing cutthroat population.
LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.
TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.
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Relation to Management Plans
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. RANGE-WIDE CONSERVATION AGREEMENT AND STRATEGY FOR BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT TROUT (Oncorhynchus clarki utah). Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Publication Number 00-19, Salt Lake City, UT.
List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.
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Fire/Fuels
Several experts in range and fire science have identified the role healthy riparian systems play in wildfire dynamics by serving as fire breaks, safety zones, water sources, and burn out points. Numerous authors cite similar observations. Proposed practices will improve the riparian zone in the Nebo Creek watershed.
If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.
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Water Quality/Quantity
There are two current TMDL's that are impacted by this project. Spanish Fork River has one and Utah Lake has another (Nebo Creek is a tributary of the Spanish Fork). This project will not directly but will potentially move the system towards attainment and will prevent further degradation cause by wildfire effects. The project will also directly benefit water quality in several ways, including the following: 1. Prevent channel downcutting and promote aggradation of sediments in entrained reaches. 2. Reduce sedimentation delivered further downstream (i.e. Spanish Fork River, Utah Lake, Jordan River and The Great Salt Lake) 3. Trap/filter sediment, nutrients, and contaminants thus prevent (reducing) its movement downstream. Riparian seeding and vegetation also can remove/alter organic nutrients through processes such as denitrification, absorption by clays, etc.
Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.
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Compliance
Prior arch clearance when barrier was installed in 2022. Stream alteration permit still valid.
Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.
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Methods
Use excavator to rebuild/modify barrier walls that failed during high flows. The barriers is primarily composed of large concrete blocks with supporting boulders for flow deflection and erosion control. It is anticipated portions of the barrier may also be relined with erosion control cloth. Disturbed areas will be seeded with an appropriate seed mix.
Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.
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Monitoring
Fish populations are and will continue to be monitored on a 3-5 year cycle to assess the recovery of the fish populations following the fires of 2018. Barrier structure will be monitored for effectiveness and function twice annually.
Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.
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Partners
Close partnership with U.S. Forest Service, Utah County.
List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.
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Future Management
Numerous partners involved in post fire restoration and infrastructure repairs within the watershed following 2018 fires. Several prior WRI projects have been implemented within the Nebo Creek watershed to restore a functioning riparian and fisheries community. Previous projects included restoration of native cutthroat, addition of LWD/PALS, planting and reseeding riparian vegetation, etc.
Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.
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Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources
The projects goal centers upon speeding the recovery of the riparian and aquatic community with the ultimate goal of restoring a self sustaining trout fishery for recreation and conservation purposes. Nebo Creek Canyon is a High Use Recreational area for dispersed camping, hiking, hunting and ATV'ing, these stream restoration efforts will speed desirability of the area for the public. Reseeding and reestablishment of watering areas and riparian forage will shorten post-fire rest periods on the two grazing allotments. Multiple grazing allotments within the drainage will/have benefitted from seeding, riparian restoration, and instream practices designed to limit channel downcutting and sediment retention.
Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.
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