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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.

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Paul Burnett – Trout Unlimited Ben Nadolski – Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  4. Weber River

  5. High Productivity

  6. Past Habitat Impacts Over 2 Miles of habitat lost from Henefer Valley in the 1960’s

  7. Water Management and Fragmentation

  8. Imperiled Native Fish in the Weber River Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Focus: Middle Weber River In Morgan Valley Bluehead Sucker

  9. Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in the Weber River Great Salt Lake

  10. Bluehead Sucker Distribution in the Weber River • Major 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

  11. Weber River Section 02 Bluehead Sucker Monitoring • Population estimate obtained in 2012 was half of 2009 estimate

  12. 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

  13. BCT Research on Weber River Research Objectives • Characterize the contemporary lower Weber River BCT metapopulation • Determine if fluvial life-history expression is still present • Investigate potential limitations to movement and migration

  14. Focus on comparing population size, structure, and movement between mainstem and tributary habitats • Methods • Electrofishing • Mark-Recapture (PIT-tags) • Passive In-stream Antenna network • Otolith microchemistry

  15. Summary: Understanding the Metapopulation Important Populations and Barriers Strawberry Creek Gordon Creek Cottonwood Creek Jacobs Creek Peterson Creek = BCT Abundance Flow = 2011 Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  16. 2013 Passive Instream Antenna Network

  17. 2013 PIA Monitoring

  18. Now what? • We know fish are moving between habitats • Some habitats are threatened • Many habitats are fragmented

  19. Moving the Conservation Needle • Protect habitats in strongholds • Reconnect habitats to increase population resiliency • Restore populations and habitat • Sustain projects and programs

  20. Prioritize Actions in Strongholds Important Population and Barriers = BCT Abundance Flow = 2011 Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  21. Gordon Creek • Bridge constructed in 1970’s • Concrete poured in 1980’s • 4 ½ ft vertical drop • Large fluvial BCT disappeared • Strong local support for reconnection = BCT Abundance Flow = Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  22. Preliminary Design for Gordon Creek

  23. Strawberry Creek • 370 ft Box Culvert under I-84 • 5.36% Slope • Blocks access to entire watershed • UDOT has provided assistance with design. = BCT Abundance Flow = Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  24. Strawberry Creek Concept

  25. “Lower Weber Diversion” = BCT Abundance Flow = Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  26. Fish screens in the south side irrigation diversion Fish screens in north side irrigation diversion Fisheries crew checking the fish trap in the passage channel

  27. Lower Weber Diversion • Still need high flow upstream passage • Dependent on Funds • General Design Criteria • Screen Cleaning Mechanism

  28. Jacobs Creek Peterson Creek Upper Gordon Creek Mainstem Weber River

  29. Continued Threats = BCT Abundance Flow = Fluvial Individual = Tributary Barrier = Mainstem Barrier

  30. 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.

  31. Thank You South Weber Irrigation Company Uintah Central Irrigation Company

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