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?

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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

• Methods – Electrofishing– Mark-Recapture (PIT-tags)– Passive In-stream Antenna network– Otolith microchemistry

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Summary: Understanding the Metapopulation

= Tributary Barrier

= Mainstem Barrier

= 2011 Fluvial Individual

= BCT Abundance Flow

Important Populations and Barriers

Cotton

wood C

reek

Gord

on C

reek

Jaco

bs C

reek

Peterson Creek

Strawberry Creek

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2013 Passive Instream Antenna Network

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2013 PIA Monitoring

Origin

Antenna LocationCottonwood Creek

Gordon Creek

Jacobs Creek

Peterson Creek

Strawberry Creek

Weber 03

Weber 04 ???

Grand Total

Lower Cottonwood 2 1 5 8Upper Cottonwood 3 1 4 8Lower Gordon 3 2 5Upper Gordon 3 5 8Lower Jacobs 13 4 2 45 1 65Upper Jacobs 2 4 1 34 1 42Lower Peterson 1 2 58 4 65Upper Peterson 1 1 6 4 52 4 68Strawberry 1 6 1 7 15Grand Total 5 6 17 2 20 12 212 10 284

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Now what?

• We know fish are moving between habitats

• Some habitats are threatened

• Many habitats are fragmented

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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.

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Thank You

South Weber Irrigation Company

Uintah Central Irrigation Company