Spawn Creek fencing and restoration project
Utah Water Project
The Utah Water Project (“UWP”) is a Trout Unlimited initiative to protect and restore Utah’s rivers and stream from threats such as drought, rapid population growth, and arcane water management systems, while preserving an adequate water supply and economic prosperity for Utah’s citizens. Established in August 2001, the UWP is premised on the idea that water management in the West is state-based and the only way to influence and improve the use of western water is to invest in institutional capacity at the state level. The UWP links professional staff with dedicated TU volunteers to work with other organizations, ranging from environmental to commodity groups, to implement common sense, win-win solutions to long-standing water challenges.
During the past year, the UWP has worked on the following initiatives:
Instream Flow Legislation
The UWP has spearheaded the drive to expand Utah’s instream flow statute so it can be a more effective tool to protect stream flows while respecting existing water rights. The UWP has joined a coalition of parties supporting the legislation, introduced the proposal to the major water interests in Utah, arranged to have the legislation referred to an interim committee of the Utah Legislature, met with legislators, discussed the proposal in public forums, drafted educational materials in support of the bill, worked with Legislative Counsel to put the bill in proper format, and addressed concerns as they arose. The Interim Committee on Natural Resources, Agriculture and the Environment will hold a hearing on the bill on November 19th. The bill faces some opposition and may not pass this session. Nevertheless, in anticipation of future passage, we have worked with the Division of Wildlife Resources to identify fisheries most in need of supplemental flows.
American Fork Hydroelectric Project Settlement
On February 6, 2003, the UWP, PacifiCorp, and various state and federal agencies signed a settlement agreement to decommission the American Fork Hydroelectric Project beginning in 2006. The settlement received local and national media attention. Under the terms of the Agreement, PacifiCorp will remove its diversion dam and pipeline, restore the river to a natural condition, ensure fish passage through the canyon, and donate its water rights to the Division of Wildlife Resources for instream flows. The river will need restoration beyond what is provided in the agreement and the Forest Service is looking for Trout Unlimited support on some stream projects. In addition, we have obtained funding to hire a coordinator to bring necessary parties together to clean up abandoned mining waste in the upper canyon. These actions will create significant recreational, aesthetic, ecological and safety benefits in one of Utah’s most popular canyons. The work pursuant to the Agreement will present wonderful opportunities to educate the public about the process and benefits of stream restoration.
East Canyon Creek Restoration
The once-renowned fishery in East Canyon Creek has been devastated by drought and increasing water withdrawals associated with exploding growth in the Park City area. During the past year, the UWP has sought to restore the creek by: i) participating in an active watershed committee; ii) meeting with EPA to secure funding for a study to identify opportunities to restore flows; iii) seeking the support of major water users in the basin to return water to the creek; iv) helping to establish the East Canyon Creek Coalition, a group of diverse interests developing voluntary approaches to supplement stream flows; v) supporting the removal of Ice Dam on a tributary to the creek; vi) supporting a Trout Unlimited stream bank restoration project; vii) evaluating and commenting on proposals to import water into the basin; viii) successfully encouraging the Bureau of Reclamation to perform a complete NEPA analysis of a proposed pipeline project; ix) soliciting the support of state agencies and political leaders; and x) supervising a student research study of water use and need in Summit County.
Rich County Coordinated Resource Management Program
A group of ranchers in Rich County invited the UWP to help them develop a Coordinated Resource Management program to make their agricultural practices more sustainable, improve wildlife habitat, and restore riparian areas. We have been meeting with the ranchers and other interests monthly to review and approve specific projects that accomplish the CRM goals. With the assistance of the Division of Wildlife Resources, we have identified the stream fisheries in the area and have pushed projects that get the cattle out of those streams. This program is receiving high-level attention in the Department of Interior and within the state. If done right, it will serve as a model for bringing diverse, often antagonistic groups together to solve resource challenges.
Opposition to the Gooseberry Narrows Project
The proposed Gooseberry Narrows Project would inundate or dramatically alter flows in 20 miles of prime trout streams and could contribute to the eutrophication of Scofield Reservoir, one of the three most important flatwater fisheries in Utah. After years of controversy and slow progress, political forces have put this project on the fast track. The UWP has helped form a coalition to oppose the project, placed stories about the project in the major newspapers in the state, discussed our position on a television news program, and encouraged resource agencies and political leaders to oppose the project. We are also actively engaged in identifying alternative, less costly and less damaging sources of water for project proponents and are gearing up for the NEPA process.
UM Creek Restoration
UM Creek in Southern Utah was on the verge of being loved to death. Years of grazing, motorized vehicles, and dispersed camping along the creek buried spawning beds in sediment, widened the channel, and raised water temperatures to the point that portions of the creek could no longer support fish, including native Colorado River cutthroat trout. The UWP teamed with the Division of Wildlife Resources to raise these concerns aggressively with the Forest Service. In response, the Forest Service convened a series of meetings among agencies, holders of grazing permits, and TU to explore solutions. The Forest Supervisor made UM Creek her top priority for the year, and her range managers installed fencing along critical reaches of the creek. While more remains to be done, UM Creek is on the path to a healthier future.
Water Supply for Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
TU has been a key partner in developing and maintaining Bonneville cutthroat trout brood stock ponds that support restoration efforts in the remote Deep Creek Mountains. Early this year, these efforts were threatened by a nearby landowner who cut off the water supply to the brood ponds. The UWP responded quickly and worked with Don Duff, the State Director of BLM, the Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, and the State Engineer to find a secure source of water. Ultimately, the state signed a lease with the landowner to provide adequate water to the ponds for the next three years. We continue to work with BLM to use their highest-priority right for the ponds indefinitely.
Utah Lake Boundary Litigation
A lawsuit over the boundary of Utah Lake threatens to transfer 19,000 acres of heretofore public property surrounding the lake to private hands. TU joined a coalition of public interests in filing a motion to intervene in order to advance the public trust doctrine in Utah and to protect public access to and use of the lake. The UWP has been involved in developing the legal strategy for the intervention.
Good things are happening, but more remains to be done. I am committed to helping Utah TU achieve its worthwhile goals and would welcome suggestions concerning how I can better support your efforts.
Alan Matheson, The Utah Water Project
This page last updated on 11/29/2007