On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced that it had been awarded $37.2 million in federal grants to be used for habitat improvement projects across Eastern Utah. Five projects were listed specifically, with four in Castle Country.
The Scofield Reservoir and Huntington Creek will each receive an improvement project, and the Price River will receive two.
According to a news release from the DWR, the Scofield project will,” help reduce erosion and sediment from entering Scofield Reservoir, which will improve fish and wildlife habitats along with improving downstream water quality.” Recently re-designated as a Blue Ribbon Fishery, this project should help the water body maintain its fish population more efficiently.
This project will receive roughly $2.8 million in funding.
The proposed project in Huntington Creek “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.” An already popular fishing destination looks to continue to thrive after receiving $2.6 million in federal funding for the project.
Of the two Price River projects, the first aims to fund voluntary water lease agreements for users in the Price River Basin. According to the DWR, this move aims to, “ support in stream flows to benefit overall watershed health, rural economies and native fish species in this area.”
The other Price River project receives a majority of the $37.2 million, being awarded $28.1 million in funding. This project will create a dam in the lower Price River basin, creating a new reservoir for the area in the process. The DWR also states the project,” will also replace irrigation diversions in order to enable strategic water releases to benefit threatened and endangered fish species in the area.”
The creation of a new reservoir has been a long-planned move by the Price City council, which according to meeting minutes is proposed to sit on 7,500 acres of land. With Price City and Carbon County as a whole battling water shortages, this move could create a greater, more efficient water supply while limiting downstream impacts.
“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.”
*Photo Courtesy of the Nature Conservancy