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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been awarded up to roughly $37.2 million in federal grants that would help benefit fish and wildlife in southeastern Utah through several habitat improvements projects.
The awarded grants were announced Friday as part of the first round of funded projects from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Program through the Inflation Reduction Act. In total, 10 Utah projects were selected for funding, five of which were awarded to the DWR.
“We are so excited that these important projects were selected for funding through this program,” DWR Habitat Conservation Coordinator Daniel Eddington said. “Investing in the continued maintenance and improvement of habitat is crucial for the health of Utah’s fish and wildlife species, so we are grateful to our many partners, including Trout Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy, who partnered with us on these grant applications and will assist with the upcoming projects.”
The five projects that DWR was awarded grants for include:
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Scofield tributaries drought resiliency and restoration project: This project will help reduce erosion and sediment from entering Scofield Reservoir, which will improve fish and wildlife habitats along with improving downstream water quality. This project will be awarded up to approximately $2.8 million in funding.
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Huntington Creek drought resiliency and restoration project: This project aims to improve aquatic habitat and water quality in the Huntington Creek drainage area by installing low-tech restoration structures, which will help native species in the area, including the Colorado River cutthroat trout. This project will be awarded up to approximately $2.6 million in funding.
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Willow Creek subbasin restoration project in the Green River Basin: This project will enhance the stream and its habitats by removing invasive plant species, which will benefit native fish species and will improve water quality. This project will be awarded up to approximately $2.3 million in funding.
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Voluntary water leasing on the Price River: This project will help fund voluntary water lease agreements with water users in the Price River Basin over a three-year period in order to support instream flows to benefit overall watershed health, rural economies and native fish species in this area. This project will be awarded up to approximately $1.4 million in funding.
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Lower Price River environmental drought mitigation project: This project will include the construction of a dam to create a new reservoir and will also replace irrigation diversions in order to enable strategic water releases to benefit threatened and endangered fish species in the area. This project will be awarded up to approximately $28.1 million in funding.
“All across the Colorado River Basin, federal investments are providing billions of dollars of critical funding to communities and states to help Western states better manage long-term drought and natural disasters (like wildfires) and to build resilience to hotter and drier conditions,” said Sara Porterfield, Colorado River Program Director and Western Water Policy Advisor for Trout Unlimited. “This most recent round of funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Program reflects the desires and needs of communities, states and individuals across the political spectrum to build upon the success of these programs as a nonpartisan issue.”
While not awarded directly to the DWR, a few other projects were also selected for funding that the DWR will partner on, including:
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Up to approximately $21 million to the Matheson Wetland enhancement drought mitigation project, which will help fund a tertiary wastewater treatment facility, restore wetlands in the area, improve water supply and quality and enhance the wildlife habitat, benefiting endangered fish and migratory birds in the area.
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Up to approximately $6.5 million to the Moab wetlands revitalization, which will fund the installation of a river diversion and pump station to provide water to the Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve, which benefits a variety of native fish, amphibians and birds.
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Up to approximately $4.8 million to the Price River restoration project, which will help restore high-elevation wetlands and streams in the area, as well as improve water quality and flow to benefit native species like the Colorado River cutthroat trout and greater sage-grouse.
“The Colorado River is critical to the well-being of Utah,” said Sue Bellagamba, Canyonlands Regional Director at The Nature Conservancy. “However, years of drought have pushed the river to its brink, and now more than ever, we need to work collaboratively on solutions that can truly make a difference. By partnering with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation, we now have the chance to exponentially increase our impact for the benefit of Utah’s wildlife and our rural communities.”