Restoring Life History Diversity to Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Bluehead Sucker in the Weber River Paul Burnett – Trout Unlimited Ben Nadolski – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Paul Thompson – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Sam McKay – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
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Paul Burnett – Trout Unlimited Ben Nadolski – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Restoring Life History Diversity to Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Bluehead Sucker in the Weber River. Paul Burnett – Trout Unlimited Ben Nadolski – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Paul Thompson – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Sam McKay – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Restoring Life History Diversity to Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and
Bluehead Sucker in the Weber River
Paul Burnett – Trout UnlimitedBen Nadolski – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Paul Thompson – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Sam McKay – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
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Introduction
• Background on the Weber River and its native fish
• Cooperative research between the USU Fish Ecology Lab and the UDWR
• Conservation Actions
• Strategies for the Future?
3
Weber River Watershed
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Weber River
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High Productivity
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Past Habitat Impacts
Over 2 Miles of habitat lost from Henefer Valley in the 1960’s
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Water Management and Fragmentation
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Imperiled Native Fish in the Weber River
Bluehead Sucker
Bonneville Cutthroat Trout
Focus: Middle Weber RiverIn Morgan Valley
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Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in the Weber River
Great Salt Lake
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Bluehead Sucker Distribution in the Weber RiverMajor sampling efforts from 2006-2012 inventories
We know:• Occur mainly in mainstem• Long lived
We don’t know:• Habitat and movement requirements• Importance of tributary habitats
Strongest
remaining
population
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•Population estimate obtained in 2012 was half of 2009 estimate
Weber River Section 02 Bluehead Sucker Monitoring
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Weber River Home Rivers Initiative
• Collaborative multi-year effort• Applied research• On-the-ground restoration• Community outreach/Grassroots
Engagement• Long-term conservation and
management strategies and tools
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Research Objectives
1. Characterize the contemporary lower Weber River BCT metapopulation
2. Determine if fluvial life-history expression is still present
3. Investigate potential limitations to movement and migration
BCT Research on Weber River
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• Focus on comparing population size, structure, and movement between mainstem and tributary habitats
Moving the Conservation Needle• Protect habitats in
strongholds
• Reconnect habitats to increase population resiliency
• Restore populations and habitat
• Sustain projects and programs
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Prioritize Actions in Strongholds
= Tributary Barrier
= Mainstem Barrier
= 2011 Fluvial Individual
= BCT Abundance Flow
Important Population and Barriers
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Gordon Creek
= Tributary Barrier
= Mainstem Barrier
= Fluvial Individual
= BCT Abundance Flow• Bridge constructed in 1970’s• Concrete poured in 1980’s• 4 ½ ft vertical drop• Large fluvial BCT disappeared• Strong local support for
reconnection
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Preliminary Design for Gordon Creek
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Strawberry Creek
= Tributary Barrier
= Mainstem Barrier
= Fluvial Individual
= BCT Abundance Flow
• 370 ft Box Culvert under I-84• 5.36% Slope• Blocks access to entire
watershed• UDOT has provided assistance
with design.
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Strawberry Creek Concept
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“Lower Weber Diversion”
= Tributary Barrier
= Mainstem Barrier
= Fluvial Individual
= BCT Abundance Flow
Fisheries crew checking the fish trap in the passage channel
Fish screens in north side irrigation diversion
Fish screens in the south side irrigation diversion
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Lower Weber Diversion
• Still need high flow upstream passage– Dependent on Funds– General Design Criteria
• Screen Cleaning Mechanism
Peterson Creek
Upper Gordon Creek Mainstem Weber River
Jacobs Creek
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Continued Threats
= Tributary Barrier
= Mainstem Barrier
= Fluvial Individual
= BCT Abundance Flow
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Moving Forward Strategically
• Collaborative effort for develop a strategic action plan
• Improved knowledge allows us to continue refining our conservation strategies in the watershed.
• Limited resources continue to exist.
• We need to use those resources the most effectively.
• We will need to rely upon the plan and revise it to continue moving the conservation needle.