HomeMy WebLinkAboutDWQ-2015-200000Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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UTAH
NONPOINT SOURCE
POLLUTION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
FISCAL YEAR 2014
ANNUAL REPORT
January 2015
Prepared by:
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality
In cooperation with the Water Quality Task Force
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Appreciation is expressed to the following individuals for contributing information and writing
portions of this report: Nancy Mesner, Rhonda Miller, USU Extension; Gordon Younker, Utah
Association of Conservation Districts; Norm Evenstad, Natural Resources Conservation Service;
Rebecca Weissinger, U.S. National Park Service; Mark Muir, Forest Service; Jeremy Jarnecke,
Bureau of Land Management; Alan Clark, Bill Zanotti, Utah Department of Natural Resources;
Carl Adams, Mark Stangart, Lenora Sullivan, and Jim Harris, Utah Division of Water Quality.
Ben Radcliff, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; The DWQ also appreciates the progress reports
submitted by the Local Watershed Coordinators as follows: Wally Dodds, Upper Sevier; Lynn
Koyle, Middle and Lower Sevier; Alan Saltzman, San Pitch; Evan Guymon, Uinta Basin; Marian
Hubbard, Jordan River; Jake Powell, Upper Weber; Justin Elsner, Lower and Middle Bear; David
Dodds, Cedar/Beaver; and Arnie Hultquist, South Eastern Utah.
Thanks is also expressed to Gary Kleeman, Watershed Team, US Environmental Protection
Agency, Region 8 in Denver for his review and input to the report.
Cover Photo: River Restoration Project, Main Creek, Utah
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION AND PROGRAM OVERVIEW ................................................................... 4
2. GRANT MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION ........................................ 4
2.1. STAFFING AND SUPPORT .............................................................................................................. 6
2.2. FY-2013 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MILESTONES ......................................................................... 7
2.3. SUMMARY OF ACTIVE UTAH 319(H) GRANTS DURING FY-14 ..................................................... 9
2.4. WATERSHED BASED PLANS/ TMDLS........................................................................................... 9
2.5. PROJECT PROPOSALS APPROVED FOR FUNDING DURING FY- 14 SOLICITATION PROCESS ........... 9
3. NPS PROGRAM STRATEGIC APPROACH ...........................................................................10
3.1. TARGETED BASIN APPROACH .....................................................................................................10
3.2. UTAH STATE NPS FUNDING ........................................................................................................10
3.3. PROGRAM MATCH STATUS .........................................................................................................11
3.4. INTEGRATING WATERSHEDS AND NPS FUNDING (BASIN WIDE SUMMARY) ................................11
3.5. NPS WATER QUALITY TASK FORCE/ MONITORING COUNCIL .....................................................17
3.6. GRANTS REPORTING AND TRACKING SYSTEM ............................................................................18
4. WATER QUALITY INFORMATION .......................................................................................18
4.1 SAMPLING AND ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES........................................................................................18
4.2 DATA ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................20
4.3 VOLUNTEER MONITORING ...............................................................................................................20
4.4 GROUND WATER PROTECTION .........................................................................................................21
5. OUTREACH ACTIVITIES .........................................................................................................22
6. STATE/LOCAL AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS .......................................................................23
7. FEDERAL AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS .................................................................................28
8. FEDERAL CONSISTENCY REVIEW AND NPS PROJECT TOURS FOR FY-2013 .........36
9. APPENDICIES ..............................................................................................................................50
FIGURE 1 PROJECT LOCATION MAP……………………………………………………. 50
TABLE A COMPLETED AND ACTIVE 319 PROJECTS…………………………………. 51
TABLE B 319 FINAL PROJECT REPORTS SUBMITTED IN FY-2014…………………. 51
TABLE C SUMMARY OF ACTIVE UTAH 319(H) GRANTS FY-14…………………….. 52
TABLE D APPROVED TMDL……………………………………………………………… 54
TABLE E WATERSHED PLANS…………………………………………........................... 56
TABLE F STATE NPS FUNDS ALLOCATED IN 2014…………………………………... 56
TABLE G FUNDING USED WITH SECTION 319 FUNDING IN FY-2014……………… 57
TABLE H SUMMARY CONSERVATION PRACTICES- NRCS FISCAL YEAR 2013… 57
TABLE I MILESTONES OF THE UTAH STATEWIDE NPS PROGRAM FY-2013……..60
TABLE J FY-2014 BLM WRI PROJECTS…………………………………………………..62
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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1. Introduction and Program Overview
This report fulfills the requirements of Section 319(m)(1) of the federal Clean Water Act of 1987.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Quality annually prepares
this report to inform the public, the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) on the state’s progress in the area of nonpoint source water pollution abatement. Although
this report should not be considered a complete account of all nonpoint source activities, it
describes the most important features of Utah’s program.
The mission of the Utah Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Program is to support the
environmental protection goals of the state as described in Utah Administrative Code R317-2,
in part to: 1) to conserve the waters of the state; 2) to protect, maintain, and improve the
quality of the waters of the state for public water supplies, species protection and propagation
and for other designated uses; and 3) to provide for the prevention, abatement and control of
new or existing sources of polluted runoff. The Utah NPS Management Program works to
achieve these goals by working in concert with numerous local, state and federal agencies and
private parties pursuant to the Utah NPS Pollution Management Plan.
Nonpoint source pollution refers to diffuse pollutants that when added together from an entire
watershed can significantly impact water quality in streams, lakes and reservoirs. Nonpoint
source (NPS) pollution is diffuse, coming from land runoff, percolation, precipitation or
atmospheric deposition. Precipitation washes pollutants from the air and land and into our
streams, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater. Such pollutants can include sediment, nutrients,
pathogens (bacteria and viruses), toxic chemicals, pesticides, oil, grease, salts and heavy
metals. In Utah, our most common problems are sediment, nutrients, metals, salts and
pathogens. These pollutants alter the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the water
and can impair their designated uses. Most assessment units (waterbodies) are listed on the
State’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters because of nonpoint source pollution. Some of the
common sources of NPS pollution include agricultural activities, runoff from parking lots,
streets and residential areas, mining and timber operations, recreational activities, onsite
septic systems, construction and development activities, stream/riparian habitat degradation
and natural sources.
2. Grant Management and Program Administration
In Fiscal Year 2014 (FY-14) the Utah NPS program received $1,396,000 in Federal Section
319(h) funds. Of these funds, $502,379 was used for program related staffing and support, while
the remaining $893,621 was dedicated to 4 project grants. This was actually a 4% increase from
the year before, allowing an additional $32,000 to be used for on the ground project
implementation.
Section 319(h) funds are distributed at the local level to help address water quality issues
contributing to nonpoint source pollution. Recipients of these funds can include local
governments, watershed groups and individual cooperators. The projects selected for funding
include the Volunteer Monitoring Program, support of local watershed coordinators, Best
Management Practice (BMP) implementation, and watershed group support (Figure 1).
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Figure 1
In addition to the FY-14 Section 319 funds, Utah continues to manage five other federal 319
grant awards which have been partially or completely expended. Table 1 summarizes grant
awards by year and the approximate percentage that has been expended in each grant. The FY-09
contract expires September 30th, 2014 and is on schedule to be completely spent out by that date.
Table 1
Section 319(h) Nonpoint Source Funding Project Allocations
Federal Fiscal Year Grant Award Expenditures
in FY-2014
Total
Expenditures
Percent
Expended
FY-08 $1,161,585 $116,461 $1,161,585 100%
FY-09 $1,119,400 $55,317 $912,703 82%
FY-10 $1,065,000 $62,032 $916,713 81%
FY-11 $832,921 $126,744 $756,766 91%
FY-12 $830,800 $447,534 $535,202 64%
FY-13 $861,621 $137,046 $137,046 16%
FY-14 $893,621 $0 $0 0%
Total $6,764,984 $945,134 $4,420,015 65%
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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2.1. Staffing and Support
In FY-14 the Division of Water Quality devoted 6.2 FTEs to the NPS Pollution Management
Program that are funded 60% with 319 funds and 40% state revenue. Table 2 shows the positions
and FTEs funded by the Division of Water Quality using Section 319 funds.
Table 2
PERSONNEL
(# FTE's)
SALARY FRINGE
(44%)
TOTAL
EXPENSES
STATE
(40%)
EPA 319
(60%)
Program
Coordinator (1.0)
$64,064 $28,188 $92,252 $36,901 $55,351
Program
Assistant (1.0)
$33,869 $26,611 $100,800 $40,320 $60,480
Environmental
Scientist (0.50)
32,155 14,148 46,303 18,521 27,782
Environmental
Scientist (1.0)
57,691 25,384 83,075 33,230 49,845
Environmental
Scientist (0.50) 30,454 13,400 43,854 17,542 26,312
Environmental
Scientist (0.30)
17,307 7,615 24,922 9,969 14,953
Environmental
Scientist (0.50)
28,846 12,692 41,538 16,615 24,923
Monitoring
Specialist (1.0)
50,383 22,169 72,552 29,021 43,531
Two Seasonal
Temps (0.50)
42,333 18,627 60,960 24,384 36,576
Watershed
Section Manager
(0.60)
41,856 18,417 60,273 24,109 36,164
Asst. Div.
Director (0.20)
16,420 7,225 23,645 9,458 14,187
Division Director
(0.10)
10,768 4,738 15,506 6,202 9,304
TOTAL
6.2 FTEs
$426,146 $199,213 $665,679 $266,272 $399,407
SUPPORT
Travel $6,400 $2,560 $3,840
Direct and
Indirect Staff
Support
$141,656 $56,663 $84,994
Supplies $2,063 $825 $1,238
Monitoring $21,500 $8,600 $12,900
Total Support $171,619 $68,648 $102,972
Total Staffing and Support $837,298 $334,920 $502,379
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Section 319 funds allocated to staffing and support functions are also used to pay for laboratory
support and report preparation. This includes laboratory analysis of water samples.
Phytoplankton samples are collected annually from selected lakes and reservoirs by DWQ
monitoring staff. Macroinvertebrates are also collected in various locations. The analysis of these
samples and annual reports are paid for in part with 319 funds, and help determine if the BMPs
that are being implemented are achieving the desired environmental results. The direct and
indirect staff support includes expenses such as phones, rent, maintenance, security, printing,
books, and data processing.
2.2. FY-14 Accomplishments and Milestones
FY-14 Accomplishments
Utah closed out the FY-08 Section 319 Grant, and all information has been entered into
the Grants Reporting and Tracking System (GRTS)
Water Quality Task Force meetings were held on August 7th, 2013, November 19th, 2013,
and May 19th, 2014.
The annual agency coordination meeting was held on February 26th, 2014. This meeting
allowed partner agencies the opportunity to give a 15 minute presentation highlighting
the NPS pollution issues their agencies are currently addressing.
The Utah Watershed Coordinating Council (UWCC) met 3 times during FY-14 including
a Multi Indicator Monitoring (MIM) training where members of the Utah Riparian
Stream Team presented the MIM protocol.
A revised Statewide Management Plan for NPS pollution was completed and approved
by EPA on November 25, 2013.
The Statewide Stormwater Management Plan was completed and approved by EPA on
November 25, 2013 as an appendix to the Statewide Management Plan for nonpoint
source pollution.
The Statewide Hydrologic Modification NPS Management Plan was updated and
approved by EPA on November 25, 2013 as an appendix to the Statewide Management
Plan for nonpoint source pollution.
The Statewide NPS Information and Education Plan was updated and approved by EPA
on November 25, 2013 as an appendix to the Statewide Management Plan for Nonpoint
Source pollution.
A success story highlighting the environmental benefits of the NPS project work that has
recently taken place on the Fremont River Watershed has been submitted to EPA for
approval.
The Federal Consistency Review was conducted with the Division of Water Quality and
the Forest Service in the Manti La Sal National Forest on October 7th and 8th.
The Utah Division of Water Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency
participated in a project evaluation tour in the Cedar / Beaver and Colorado River
Watersheds on August 11th through the 13st.
The Utah Division of Water Quality and the Natural Resource Conservation Service
worked together to identify three 12 Digit HUCs in the Upper Sevier and Wallsburg
Watersheds in which the National Water Quality Initiative funding will be spent.
The Echo and Rockport TMDLs were approved as well as a TMDL on the Colorado
River for Selenium.
Annual Milestones
To help the State of Utah gauge the success of the Statewide Nonpoint Source Management
Program the State has developed annual milestones. These milestones are based on the five
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objectives of the Statewide NPS Management Program identified in the Management Plan. These
objectives and milestones are as follows:
Objective 1: Environmental Protection
Annual Milestones
Number of TMDLs completed.
Number of TMDLs initiated during the state fiscal year.
Number of nine element watershed based plans developed.
Number of nine element watershed based plans initiated during the state fiscal year.
Number of projects dedicated to the protection of threatened waterbodies identified in
Utah’s 303(d) list.
Number of projects focused on groundwater protection throughout the state.
Objective 2: Improve Program Efficiency and Effectiveness through Reporting and
Evaluation.
Annual Milestones
Total number of stream miles restored (beginning 2013)
Total estimated load reductions (P,N,TSS) in project areas (beginning 2013)
Number of final project reports submitted (beginning 2013)
Number of 319 grants currently open during the fiscal year
Amount of unexpended funds in each open 319 grant
Number of success stories showing the environmental benefits of completed NPS
projects submitted to EPA for approval
Objective 3: Improve Public Participation and Understanding of NPS Issues.
Annual Milestones
Number of participants involved in the Statewide Volunteer Monitoring Program
Number of I&E projects implemented with Section 319 and State NPS Funding
Updates made to the State NPS Program Website
Objective 4: Improve Data Collection and Management
Annual Milestones
Track updates made to enhance NPS monitoring in the Division of Water Quality’s
annual monitoring strategy.
Number of Sampling Analysis Plans developed.
Track status and updates of Utah’s AWQMS database.
Report on water quality data uploaded to the EPA WQX database
Objective 5: Improve Coordination of Governmental and Private Sectors
Annual Milestones
Hold annual NPS Management Program coordination meetings
Conduct annual consistency reviews with state and federal agencies
Number of Water Quality Task Force meetings held during the fiscal year
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Amount of funding used to leverage 319 funding throughout the state. This funding can
include program funding from UDAF, UDEQ, UDWR, USDA, and other state, federal,
and local agencies
For a complete report of how these annual milestones were met in FY-14, refer to Table I in
the appendices.
2.3. Summary of Active Utah 319(h) Grants During FY-14
For an entire summary of active Utah 319(h) projects see Tables A, B, & C in the
appendices.
2.4. Watershed Based Plans/ TMDLs
Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to develop and submit for
approval a list of impaired waters every two years. This is referred to as the 303(d) list. The most
recent version of the 303(d) list approved by EPA for the State of Utah was issued in 2010. The
Utah Division of Water Quality has completed the 2014 303(d) list and is awaiting approval from
EPA. Waterbodies listed as impaired require additional study to determine the sources of
impairment, and if appropriate, have a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) determination made
for the pollutant of concern. Currently the State of Utah is implementing 65 TMDLs, (See Table
D and E in the appendices). Additionally, a comprehensive tracking tool for TMDLs and
waterbody assessments has been provided by EPA that will assist in accurately reporting the
status of completed TMDLs.
2.5. Project Proposals Approved for Funding During FY- 14 Solicitation Process
Due to the high demand for 319(h) funds the State of Utah has required that entities applying for
funding submit pre-proposals to the State for review. Fifty NPS pre-proposals totaling nearly
$4.5 million were accepted from the middle of April to the first of June for the 2014 fiscal year.
These pre-proposals were reviewed by the Utah Division of Water Quality using a project
selection ranking criterion developed by the Water Quality Task Force. Once the proposals were
ranked they were reviewed by a subcommittee of the Water Quality Task Force, and the final
grant awards were determined. Of the proposals received, four projects were selected for funding
with Section 319 funds. The Jordan River and Utah Lake Watersheds received the majority of
Project funds available, since they were the targeted basin in FY-14. The local watershed
coordinators and an information and education grant to USU, including the volunteer monitoring
program, were also funded (Table 3). The Projects that were not selected for funding with
Section 319 funds were then considered for funding with State NPS funding.
Table 3
2014 Project Implementation Plans (PIPs) for CWA Section 319 Funding
(Prepared June 30th, 2014)
Proposal Title Allocation
1. USU Volunteer Monitoring and I&E $ 97,000
2. Local Watershed Coordinators $ 340,000
3. Jordan River Ecosystem Restoration $ 319,096
4. Strawberry River Restoration $ 150,000
Total $ 893,621
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3. NPS Program Strategic Approach
To be eligible for funding, NPS projects must be located on a waterbody, or be tributary to a
waterbody, identified on the 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. A current watershed plan
should also be in place which covers all nine elements required in an EPA approved watershed
based plan. Using a targeted basin approach allows watershed planners time to develop
watershed plans between funding cycles. To help facilitate the development of watershed plans
and identify sources of pollutant loading, the Utah Division of Water Quality conducts annual
intensive monitoring runs two years before funding is scheduled to be received by the targeted
basin.
3.1. Targeted Basin Approach
The State of Utah uses a targeted basin approach to reduce nonpoint source pollution. FY-14
represents the fifth year of implementing the targeted basin approach (see Table 4). This
approach allows the state to focus implementation efforts on a specific watershed and will
promote effective implementation of TMDLs and watershed plans.
The Jordan River/Utah Lake Watershed obtained 100% of the 319 funds allocated for BMP
implementation, and will also receive an additional $150,000 in State Nonpoint Source funds in
FY-15. The majority of these funds will be used to implement projects on Main Creek in the
Wallsburg Watershed and the Jordan River. Projects have already been identified in the Colorado
River Watershed, since it will be the targeted basin in 2015.
Table 4
Basin Priority Funding Schedule
Watershed 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2021
(1) Jordan/ Utah lake
(2) Colorado River
(3) Sevier, Cedar-Beaver
(4) Bear River
(5) Weber River
(6) Uinta Basin
3.2. Utah State NPS Funding
The Utah Division of Water Quality uses funds generated from interest earnings on loans
awarded by the Utah Water Quality Board to address NPS issues . Individuals, businesses,
private entities, associations, and government agencies are eligible to receive these grants. Much
like Section 319(h) funds, all project proposals received are ranked and prioritized. The highest
priority projects are those that address a critical water quality need, human health concerns, and
would not be economically feasible without the grant. In FY-14, 24 projects were funded,
totaling $985,642. In addition to these projects an additional $14,358 was reserved for on-site
septic system projects that may arise during the year. For a complete summary of FY-14 funded
projects see Table F in the appendices.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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3.3. Program Match Status
The 319(h) federal money received by the State requires a 40% non-federal match for both the
staffing and support funds used by DEQ and the dollars allocated for projects. Most of the match
for projects is provided at the local level by individual producers and landowners. The DWQ
provides State NPS funds as match to selected 319 projects to provide an additional incentive to
implement BMPs.
There are several state and local programs which have been very helpful in generating match for
the 319 projects. The Division of Wildlife Resources manages several state grant programs,
which include Habitat Council funds, Blue Ribbon Fishery program, and Watershed Restoration
Initiative funding. These funds are dedicated to the improvement of wildlife habitat on public
and private lands, while improving water quality. Table G in the appendices gives a summary of
these funds used in conjunction with Section 319 funding.
The Utah Conservation Commission manages the Agriculture Resource Development Loan
Program (ARDL), which in recent years has been expanded to include water quality improvement
projects on farms and ranches. The Grazing Improvement Program (GIP) at the Utah
Department of Agriculture and Food also provides state revenue to improve management of
upland and riparian areas throughout the state. All of the programs mentioned above have
provided match for 319 revenues in jointly funded projects. These state programs are tremendous
assets to the improvement of water quality in this state.
The Department of Environmental Quality provides state revenue to match the staffing and
support 319(h) funds that are part of the Performance Partnership Grant (PPG). The Utah
Association of Conservation Districts also tracks all match accruals through projects managed by
the Local Conservation Districts via an annual contract. Table 5 shows the amount of match
accrued for all open Section 319 grants.
Table 5
Grant Year 319 Funds Spent
in FY-13
Match Accrued
in FY-13
Total 319 Funds
Spent
Total Match
Accrued
FY-08 $116,461 $77,641 $1,161,585 $774,390
FY-09 $55,317 $36,878 $912,703 $608,469
FY-10 $62,032 $41,354 $916,713 $611,142
FY-11 $126,744 $84,496 $756,766 $504,511
FY-12 $447,534 $298,356 $535,202 $356,801
FY-13 $137,046 $91,364 $137,046 $91,364
FY-14 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total $945,134 $630,089 $4,420,015 $2,946,677
3.4. Integrating Watersheds and NPS Funding (Basin wide summary)
Watershed coordinators have proven to be very effective at helping implement water quality
projects on the ground. Local watershed coordinators develop relationships with landowners and
educate them on the benefits of installing Best Management Practices (BMPs). They also oversee
all project planning, design, project implementation, and reporting. They help organize and
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facilitate meetings for local watershed groups involved in watershed planning and in the project
solicitation and selection process.
Middle and Lower Sevier River Watershed- Lynn Koyle
2014 will be the final year that the Division of Water Quality will be funding a position in the
Middle Sevier Watershed due to a lack of funding and the need to focus efforts in the headwaters
of this watershed. This position will be terminated on December 31st, 2014.
During the 2014 fiscal year this local watershed coordinator spent the majority of their time
developing a watershed plan for the Otter Creek Watershed and continued to work on
implementing projects along the Sevier River in the Marysvale area. However, the landowner
that planned on doing the implementation work backed out of the project, and no further project
work is anticipated to take place in the Middle Sevier for several years.
Southeastern Colorado River Watershed- Arne Hultquist
The Southeast Watershed Coordinator is a part time position. The major responsibility of the
Southeast Watershed Coordinator is to provide support to the local watershed groups in the area.
Currently the only local watershed group in Grand and San Juan counties, The Moab Area
Watershed Partnership (MAWP), has been in existence a little over 3 ½ years and is still working
on its watershed management plan. The watershed management plan has come a long way in the
last year. It is only one section and a couple of sub-sections away from completion.
One mini-grant project was completed and two more were funded in FY-2014. The educational
Kiosk building grant was completed and closed in this last year. Funding was received for
signage that will expand on information provided by the Kiosk, as well as funding for 5 dog
waste stations and accompanying bags. Two doggy waste stations were disbursed to, and
installed by, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and three were given to Grand County but
haven’t been installed yet. The doggy bags were distributed to Moab Solutions, Grand Water and
Sewer Service Agency, the BLM and Grand County.
The USFS Spring development projects have been started. Funding has been received for 6
projects this year in the MAWP watershed that will begin to be implemented in the fall of 2014.
Cedar/Beaver- David Dodds
The Cedar City watershed coordinator position is relatively new, and as such this year has been
focused on acquiring funding for future projects. The North Fork, Chamberlain Ranch project has
made progress this year with the completion of the pipeline easement which will allow
construction to occur over the multiple land owners’ property. Additionally, NEPA
documentation has been occurring this year and should be completed by September 2014.
Acquiring funding for future projects in this area has been successful with 5 new projects planned
at an amount of $461,320.00.
In addition to the project implementation work that has been taking place in the watershed, the
local watershed coordinator has also assisted with watershed planning that is currently taking
place in various locations around the watershed. Plans that are currently being developed include
the North Fork of the Virgin River, and Pinto Creek near Newcastle Reservoir.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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The coordinator has also attended several trainings to help him become more proficient at
planning and designing BMPs in the watershed, and attended various conferences and meetings to
better network with partners from the watershed.
Jordan River Watershed- Marian Hubbard
Over the past twelve months, the Salt Lake County Watershed Planning and Restoration Program
of Salt Lake County has engaged in several restoration and planning efforts, aimed towards
achieving TMDL and Salt Lake County’s Water Quality Stewardship Plan’s goals.
Riparian Restoration and New Stream Gage on Red Butte Creek (a Chevron Mitigation Fund
Project): This project aims to restore riparian vegetation in the University of Utah stretch of Red
Butte Creek (below Red Butte Garden to Foothill Drive) to repair damage caused by the 2010
Chevron oil spills and subsequent cleanup activities. Restoration goals include: stabilize
streambanks, protect against erosion, protect water quality, improve riparian habitat, and slow
high flows. A variety of streambank bioengineering techniques, specifically the installation of
dormant woody plant cuttings (aka live stakes), were installed in March 2013. Photo monitoring
points and cross sections were established in May 2013. Ongoing data collection and monitoring
will occur throughout the grant period, which ends September 2014. In addition to the Project
work that will be conducted on Red Butte, the County also used 319 funds to do additional
monitoring to identify the source of the E.coli present in the Creek.
Salt Lake County continues to work towards the installation of one new automated stream gage to
continuously monitor stream flow and water quality in Red Butte Creek. The gage will be
installed in the Miller Park section of the creek, with placement determined in collaboration with
Salt Lake City’s Miller Park restoration project (another Chevron Mitigation Fund project). This
gage will use new RADAR water leveling technology so no gage house, stilling well or other
equipment will be visible on the bank. The gage will consist of a two foot V-Notch weir wall and
a radar unit with telemetry mounted under a bridge.
The Murray/Taylorsville Jordan River Restoration, located at 5200 S through 4800 S on the
Jordan River will restore 3,100 feet of stream bank on the Jordan River. Using soil
bioengineering and newly available Flex-A-Mat armoring product, watershed personnel will seek
to restore over 30 acres of degraded riparian habitat and reduce sediment loads to the Jordan
River by over 33 tons annually. Salt Lake County will be working with several partners
including: Murray City, Taylorsville City, Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands and
Salt Lake County Parks
Bingham Creek: In cooperation with the UACD, Salt Lake County Watershed personnel will
design and install soil bioengineering strategies and wetland plants to reduce sediment loading
and E. coli contamination in Bingham Creek and subsequently, the Jordan River. UACD will
install fencing and manure management strategies to keep cattle from adversely affecting this
area.
Winchester: Salt Lake County Watershed personnel have been tasked with the design and
construction of a navigable boat passage under the Winchester St. bridge. The design will use a
natural channel design concept, and will re-contour the Jordan River channel including three rock
cross vanes to drop the river the necessary 10 feet. Design work began in the summer 2014 with
construction taking place in the winter/spring 2015.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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In addition to the project implementation that is taking place, the watershed coordinator continues
to fulfill their reporting responsibilities, as well as the information and education component of
the watershed. This included the Jordan River Symposium, a water quality newsletter, and a day
in the watershed when trash is collected.
Weber River Watershed- Jake Powell
Several major implementation projects in the East Canyon and Upper Weber watersheds that
have been in the planning and development stages for several years were completed during the
FY-14 fiscal year. Currently the local watershed coordinator is working with landowners to
implement 9 projects. These projects include 8 projects that focus on protecting the riparian area
by fencing animals from the stream corridor, and stabilizing eroding banks, thus allowing the
vegetation to reestablish along the reach. There is also one project that focuses on improving
water quality by increasing irrigation efficiencies in the Chalk Creek Watershed. In addition to
the implementation of these projects, the watershed coordinator has also been tasked with
monitoring these projects.
The watershed coordinator continues to work closely with the East Canyon Watershed
Committee. This committee is currently working to develop an outreach and education campaign
focused on increasing awareness about the low flow issues in East Canyon Creek. The
coordinator also acts as the website administrator and frequently develops new content for the
website and keeps current events and information up to date. He has also been heavily involved
in the formation of the Weber River Partnership. This group seeks to act in the capacity of a
watershed committee working to increase the coordination and effectiveness of groups working in
the larger Weber Watershed.
The watershed coordinator worked as one of the core team members involved in a watershed
planning effort that seeks to create consensus, cooperation, and a watershed planning document
that outlines the values important in the watershed, challenges to these values, and a pathway
toward protecting and restoring these values. This planning effort involves several partners and a
planning tool developed by the Nature Conservancy called a Conservation Action Plan (CAP).
This planning tool has focused the energy and efforts of the planning group and stakeholders. The
coordinator has worked to represent the interests of the Upper Weber watershed, and wrote
several sections of the plan and did all the final graphic design and layout of the publication. He
also wrote a grant application and received $21,000 from the Utah Department of Agriculture and
Food to organize a Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) group in the South Fork of Chalk
Creek. This watershed was identified as a high priority area in the Echo/Rockport TMDL
because of its high contributions of sediment to the larger Chalk Creek watershed. He has
worked to organize CRM meetings, develop presentations, gather relevant information that is
available, and write the document. This planning process has raised awareness among the
landowners of watershed scale issues as well as provided a foundation of partnership,
collaboration, and planning within the watershed. The final document is on schedule to be
completed early 2015 and is anticipated to become the watershed plan for the South Fork of
Chalk Creek.
The watershed coordinator continues to participate in and lead the way for water quality
education within the watershed. He participated in a local farm field day event, and continues to
work with local schools where he addresses the students, and teaches them about the local issues
that are impacting water quality within the watershed.
Middle and Lower Bear River Watershed- Justin Elsner
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 15
During FY-14 the local watershed coordinator completed 1 project to help improve water quality
in the watershed. This was a riparian protection project that took place on the Logan River up
Logan Canyon, and was funded with NRCS funding. In addition to completing this project the
local watershed coordinator continues to work on 10 other projects that are scheduled to be
completed in the next couple of years.
In addition to project implementation, the local watershed coordinator has been actively involved
in educating the general public in his watershed. He spoke at the Northern Utah Water
conference, assisted with the Cache County Storm Water Fair and the Bear River Celebration,
and continues to inform landowners of practices that can be implemented on their property to
improve water quality.
The local watershed coordinator continues to facilitate two different watershed groups in the
Middle and Lower Bear River Watersheds. The Cutler Reservoir Advisory Committee is active
in the Middle Bear River Watershed, and is currently developing the implementation plan for the
Cutler Reservoir TMDL. The watershed group in the Lower Bear River has recently begun the
process of revising the TMDL on the Lower Bear River.
San Pitch Watershed- Alan Saltzman
During FY-2014 $73,585 in 319 funds were spent in the San Pitch Watershed. An additional
$23,170.67 in State NPS funds were spent in the watershed, as well as $73,917 in EQIP funds.
The total amount spent on water quality improvements within the San Pitch River Watershed
during Fiscal Year 2014 was $201,711. Projects include four riparian improvement projects, 2
irrigation improvements projects, and one pasture management project.
In addition to project implementation the San Pitch Watershed Coordinator has been helping the
local Conservation District develop a coordinated resource management plan that will encompass
all 9 of the EPA required watershed planning elements. He also continues to assist with the
collection of water quality data that will be used in the development of this plan. He has also been
involved with the monitoring of projects that have been implemented in his watershed to show
project effectiveness. The watershed coordinator has completed all of his reporting requirements
for his project funds, and has submitted his reports in a timely manner
The watershed coordinator has continued to conduct information and education related projects
throughout the watershed. This includes a watershed field day that was held on April 30th at
Snow College. All of the local 4th grade classes in the district attended this field day.
Upper Sevier Watershed- Wally Dodds
Even though the Upper Sevier will not be the targeted basin until 2015, there has still been a large
amount of project implementation work that has been taking place within the watershed. Two
watersheds in the Upper Sevier were selected as watersheds that would receive funding from the
National Water Quality Initiative program sponsored by the NRCS. As a result, 6 applications
were received for this funding, and two were funded for more than $300,000 for stream
restoration practices that will take place on the Sevier River. The Upper Sevier watershed
coordinator has also been assisting with some restoration work that has been taking place over on
the Fremont River since the planner that had historically done the planning for those projects
recently retired.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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In addition to the project work that is currently being planned, the watershed coordinator has been
working on updating the watershed plan for the Upper Sevier Watershed. It is anticipated that
this plan will be completed before the targeted basin funding is received in the spring of 2016.
The local watershed coordinator is also heavily involved in water quality information and
education activities. This includes a natural resource field day that is held annually in the
watershed. This allows student from local schools to learn about water quality issues in their
watershed, and they get the opportunity to go out and help plant willows along the Sevier River
near Panguitch.
Uinta Basin- Evan Guymon
The current Uinta Basin coordinator was hired just as the Uinta Basin had received the majority
of the State’s NPS funding in 2014. As a result, various projects had already been identified when
he was hired. These projects had to go through formal consultation with USFWS due to the
presence of Ute’s Ladies Tress (Sprianthes diluvialis), an endangered plant. It was determined
that the project work that had been planned could not take place for several years, or until the
actual location of this endangered plant was determined through in-depth surveys. This meant
that NRCS applications associated with these projects had to be cancelled while three years of
surveys for this plant occurred. During the fall of 2013 the watershed coordinator found a
cooperator whose project was approved by USFWS. The project will be funded by NRCS-EQIP
funds, and will be implemented during the fall of 2015.
During the FY-2014 fiscal year, the watershed coordinator has coordinated the Ute Ladies Tress
surveys, completed the Duchesne River Restoration Plan, and continued work on the Strawberry
River Watershed plan. He has also coordinated an aerial photography flight of the Duchesne
River, which will help identify additional water quality projects along the Duchesne River.
The coordinator has continued to report on the project work that is taking place in the watershed,
and is submitting annual reports on the work that continues to take place in the watershed. He
has assisted with monitoring that is being conducted to document project effectiveness, and
continues to work with the local watershed groups and conservation districts.
Project Summary
In 2014 local watershed coordinators were involved with the completion of 13 projects
throughout the State of Utah. These projects used $194,688 in Section 319 funds and generated
over $243,557 of funding from other sources. These projects are estimated to result in a
reduction of 525 pounds of phosphorous and 729 tons of sediment per year. In addition to the
projects that have been completed, additional funding is also being spent on projects that are
scheduled to be completed in the next fiscal year. Table 6 shows a summary of the projects that
were completed in each watershed.
Table 6
Watershed Number of
Projects
Completed
319
Funding
Funding
from Other
Agencies
Estimated
Total P Load
Reductions
(lbs/year)
Estimated
Sediment
Load
Reductions
(tons/year)
Weber River 5 $107,614 $127,032 132 145
Bear River 1 $0 $15,227 8 2
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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San Pitch 7 $87,074 $101,298 385 582
Total 13 $194,688 $243,557 525 729
3.5. NPS Water Quality Task Force/ Monitoring Council
The mission of the Utah Water Quality Task Force is to facilitate coordinated and holistic
management of Utah’s watersheds for the protection and restoration of Utah’s surface and ground
waters.
The Utah Nonpoint Source (NPS) Program is administered by the Division of Water Quality
(DWQ) of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) through the coordination and
assistance of the Utah Water Quality Task Force, and its established ad hoc committees. The
responsibility of the Utah Water Quality Task Force is to advise the DEQ in the holistic
management of Utah’s watersheds, with a focus on reduction of nonpoint source pollution.
The chairmanship of the Water Quality Task Force is shared by the Executive Directors of the
DEQ and UDAF or their designated representatives. The UDAF is responsible for chairmanship
on even numbered years and the DEQ is responsible on odd numbered years. The Task Force
meets quarterly, but may meet more frequently if deemed necessary.
Specific functions of the Utah Water Quality Task Force include:
Serve as a coordinating body for the review and direction of federal, state and local NPS
management programs to assure that these programs are implemented consistently with
the Utah Nonpoint Source Management Plan (approved by EPA in 2014 and as amended
or revised);
Promote and foster better alignment of relevant programs to assure efficient and effective
watershed management efforts that improve water quality, in addition to other benefits;
Provide a forum for the exchange of information on activities which reduce nonpoint
source pollution;
Provide a forum for discussion and recommended resolutions to program conflicts;
Work with partner agencies to coordinate the prioritization of watersheds for nonpoint
source activities. Prioritization criteria should include local involvement (e.g. locally led
watershed committees), effective use of partnerships, and evidence of leveraged sources
of funding;
Establish and implement a process for field inspections of nonpoint source reduction
activities on public and private lands to ensure that best management practices are
installed and functioning as designed to protect water quality; and
Serve as a coordinating body for outreach and education to increase public awareness
regarding nonpoint source pollution abatement.
Specific Products of the Utah Water Quality Task Force include:
The Annual Utah Nonpoint Source Program Report. This report is required by EPA, but
is not restricted to 319 funded efforts. The report is prepared by DEQ. The task force
will assist in providing content, advice and review. The report will highlight the planning
efforts, projects, and successes statewide that are possible with the broad coalition of
partners encompassed in the Water Quality Task Force;
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Presentation of the Annual Utah Nonpoint Source Program Report each year to the Utah
Water Quality Board and the Utah Conservation Commission.
An institutional repository (e.g. a web site) that includes originals or links to documents,
reports, minutes, etc.
Membership:
The Task Force includes representation of those entities with programs that could potentially
cause or prevent nonpoint source water pollution. As new NPS program components are
developed and implemented additional entities will be invited to participate. Current membership
includes representatives of:
Local Governments
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Intermountain Civil Works Office
U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation
U.S. Department of Interior National Park Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. Geological Survey
Utah Association of Conservation Districts
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Utah Department of Natural Resources
Utah Department of Transportation
Utah Farm Bureau, Trout Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, and other NGOs
Utah State University Cooperative Extension
3.6. Grants Reporting and Tracking System
The Section 319(h) Grant Reporting and Tracking System (GRTS) is a national database
developed by EPA to track projects and activities funded with CWA Section 319(h) funds. The
primary purpose of the database is to track project progress, accomplishments, funding
information and environmental results using several nationally mandated information items that
are reported to Congress annually by EPA. Information extracted from this system forms part of
the justification to Congress for funding the Section 319 Program. EPA Region VIII uses GRTS
to enable the States to electronically fulfill reporting requirements using the Project Evaluation
Form and other attachment features in GRTS such as final reports, GIS maps or other project
publications.
4. Water Quality Information
4.1. Sampling and Assessment Activities- Jim Harris
As more restoration projects are being implemented around the state, monitoring of individual
projects is becoming more difficult to perform. The majority of 319 projects in Utah address
impacts to stream and riparian habitats in order to restore aquatic life beneficial uses. Often,
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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these projects substantially reduce erosion and inputs of nutrients to streams and rivers, in
addition to improving the localized conditions of aquatic habitats. Unless restoration is
widespread and inclusive of a large portion of a watershed, it is often difficult to document
improvements in ambient water quality trends given the resources available. The DWQ’s
monitoring strategy identifies a couple of key changes in the approach to assessing the
effectiveness of nonpoint source projects.
The first of these monitoring approaches involves the direct measure of the aquatic communities
affected by restoration utilizing UCASE protocols in a BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact)
approach. DWQ staff have already performed UCASE monitoring at sites where restoration
projects are planned and linking them to sites of similar condition not anticipating management or
restoration changes (Before-Control). In coming years, those same sites will be visited again to
assess the changes from restoration activities (After-Impact). The BACI design provides
statistically rigorous comparisons between the control site(s) with the restored site (impact) to
quantify changes in biological and physical parameters that have occurred since the restoration
was conducted. In reality, grab samples of chemistry are sufficiently variable that even
statistically rigorous approaches like BACI may not demonstrate discrete changes in the chemical
composition of surface waters following restoration activities. However, similar analyses will be
conducted for measures of biological composition, which may help demonstrate relatively rapid
improvements that result from remediation activities. Measures of biological composition are
also useful because they directly measure improvements of the biological designated uses the
numeric criteria are intended to protect. Of course, measures of both biological and chemical
improvements will be dependent on the relative size of the watershed and restoration activity.
In FY 2014, the majority of the biological monitoring occurred as part of the Probabilistic
Surveys performed in the Uinta Basin and as a result there were few sites targeted specifically for
the evaluation of nonpoint source projects utilizing UCASE protocols. However, the focus of the
Targeted Monitoring Program which collects primarily water chemistry data was centered on the
Sevier, Cedar, Beaver, and West Desert watersheds as well as the Bear River beginning in
October 2013. These sites were targeted with several objectives in mind: supplying data for
assessment and listing, Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, permitting and compliance and
nonpoint source assessment. As such many of these sites may fulfill more than one of these
objectives and to create an efficient annual monitoring plan the monitoring section consults with
Water Quality Management and Watershed Protection staff to identify particular assessment and
evaluation needs to meet their program objectives.
Another proposed improvement to monitoring nonpoint source projects on a watershed or sub-
watershed scale is the installation of long-term continuous monitoring stations. Depending on the
parameters of concern and the nature of restoration activities, these automated stations could
measure a variety of constituents, including dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, pH, turbidity
and discharge. Since these probes collect a limited set of water quality parameters, surrogate
measures may be used and additional water chemistry monitoring implemented to develop
relationships between parameters of concern and the surrogate measures. For instance, positive
relationships may be developed between continuous turbidity data and chemistry data such as
nutrients to provide the necessary linkage between changes at long-term stations and project
effectiveness. While the installation of long-term stations isn’t feasible for the assessment of
individual projects on a small scale, they could be used to document the effects of a number of
projects implemented as part of a watershed-scale implementation strategy as in the case of
irrigation efficiency projects to reduce TDS or range improvements to reduce TSS (turbidity).
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Currently, Sandy Wingert is implementing a long-term monitoring project in the Strawberry
River Basin in conjunction with Division of Wildlife Resources and the Forest Service. This
project seeks to evaluate the relationship between phosphorus and other measures such as
turbidity to generate data sets sufficient in size to perform trend analysis. In this way, watershed
improvements due to restoration activities may be discernable over time. In 2012, DWQ
negotiated a Monitoring Initiative Grant to benchmark similar long term station projects which
will lead up to a small scale pilot project in a NPS restoration targeted basin (TBD) . This work is
planned to begin in the summer of 2014. DWQ staff are currently evaluating field methods for
deployment of water quality stations as well as developing assessment methods for the evaluation
of continuous data against water quality criteria.
4.2 Data Analysis and Assessment
Data analysis for evaluating the effectiveness of nonpoint source projects will vary depending on
the type of project and the available data sources. Biological monitoring will provide background
condition of the biotic community for both the “Before” and “Control” collection events. Once
implemented, projects will be assessed by revisiting the “Control” and “Impact” site. Data will
be compared using similar tools described in the biological monitoring component of the
probabilistic and targeted assessments. Scores of biological condition can be evaluated for the
“Impact” or restoration site (Before vs. After) in conjunction with the “Control” site not receiving
treatment (Before vs. After). In this way, changes in the biological condition can be evaluated
against year-to-year variability.
Methods for long-term trend analysis have yet to be developed. However, these sites will likely
utilize a combination of continuous monitoring data coupled with water chemistry to establish a
relationship between the surrogate measures and chemical parameters of concerns linked to PIPs
and TMDLs. For example, correlations can be readily established between total dissolved solids
collected by grab samples and specific conductance as measured by probe sensors. Continuous
monitoring datasets are sufficiently large enough to perform trend analysis with a level of
confidence not possible through periodic grab sampling. Developing correlations between probe
data and other parameters such as nutrients and sediment prove more difficult than the above
described scenario. In these cases, measures for dissolved oxygen, turbidity or other surrogates
may need to be evaluated. As mentioned above, specific monitoring plans will be developed
individually for implementation strategies and QAPPs and subsequent reporting documentation
will detail specific data analysis for each project.
Since much of the work performed during FY2010 was part of the new Strategic Monitoring
Plan, TMDL and NPS staff have not had the opportunity to evaluate or analyze these initial
datasets. Results of these analyses will likely be published on a watershed basis as these analyses
become available.
4.3 Volunteer Monitoring
Brian Greene (USU Water Quality Extension Educator)
Utah Water Watch Citizen Monitoring
In 2014, the Utah Water Watch
(UWW) program continued to
expand its reach. Through data
collection, training and the social
networking provided by this
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 21
program, hundreds of Utah citizens are becoming increasingly engaged in protecting their local
streams. From its launch in 2012 through July 2014, they have trained 448 citizen monitors in 13
counties. UWW volunteers have conducted 979 monitoring events at 96 sites throughout Utah
(see map to the left).
As part of Utah Water Week in May, 2014, they conducted their first “Monitor Utah” event.
During that week, their volunteers collected Tier I data at 38 sites around the state. They
highlighted the event in the news, reported the results with interpretation on the UWW website
(see https://extension.usu.edu/utahwaterwatch /htm/media/ utah-water-week-results/water-
temperature/), and intend to make this “synoptic survey” of Utah an annual event.
They continue to expand their Tier II monitoring program, which focuses on
monitoring needs of watershed coordinators. This part of the program calls
for more diverse monitoring skills and a higher level of training. Following
discussions with staff at UDWQ, they have developed a set of basic skills
that all Tier II volunteers should know, including stream flow, operation and
calibration of water quality probes, proper collection and handling of water
chemistry samples, E. coli analysis using the IDEXX process and photo
point monitoring. They are currently scheduling and providing training to
interested volunteers in these protocols. Additional protocols will be taught
as needed for specific sites. As the watershed coordinators begin to
understand the potential for this program to expand their monitoring
capacity at no cost, they are starting to see increased interest across the state.
Finally, through funding from other sources, they are developing signage at
several sites in Northern Utah that highlight citizen monitoring activities (see photo above of the
first installed sign). These signs will be located at popular sites along local rivers from Provo
north, explaining basic monitoring concepts, as well as highlight recent monitoring results.
4.4 The Ambient Water Quality Monitoring System (AWQMS) Database
The AWQMS database version 2.5 was available online in February of 2013 which provided
access to Utah's historical water quality data through 2009. In August of 2013, data was imported
for rivers and streams through December 2012. At the beginning of 2014, data associated with
Utah’s lakes was re-organized and imported into a test version of the database for further quality
assurance review. Lake data will be migrated in the spring of 2015. During 2014, data was
imported for rivers and streams through December 2013. River and stream data collected during
2014 will be imported into the database by early Spring of 2015.
The first priority for AWQMS is to establish quarterly data imports to the database so the data is
current. This will be achieved by summer of 2015. The second priority is to resolve the data
overlap between the historically migrated data and data imports for 2009. The third priority is to
update the data sent to EPA through WQX to the EPA STORET Database.
4.5 Ground Water Protection
Ground water protection remains a priority in the State of Utah. In the past, various projects were
funded using 319(h) funds to help analyze ground water around the state. Recently the State has
noticed an increase in nutrients in various ground water sources. This monitoring will help assess
the problem, and identify the sources of the contaminants. The Utah Division of Water Quality
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 22
and the Division of Drinking Water will continue to fund monitoring and information and
education programs around the state to identify groundwater issues, and educate the public on
what they can do to protect groundwater in the State. Recently the Utah Division of Drinking
Water (UDDW) generated a groundwater model that used water quality data that has been
gathered from wells in Northern Utah and compared it to the land uses in those areas. The model
has been able to generate maps showing where the areas of concern are for ground water
contamination, specifically nutrients. UDDW has contracted with Utah State University to do an
informational campaign educating landowners on what they can do to help protect groundwater in
their area. It is anticipated that this study will be completed by March of 2015. Additional
funding has been acquired from EPA to help continue this study throughout the state.
Additionally, several grants have been given to Utah State University to help educate septic
owners on how they can properly maintain their septic systems to reduce pollutants from entering
into groundwater. Technical service providers that commonly install and maintain those systems
are also being trained on how to properly install and pump these systems.
5 Outreach Activities
Utah State University Extension- Nancy Mesner (USU Water Quality Extension Specialist)
Outreach Activities
In 2014, USU Water Quality Extension continued to expand and improve its outreach programs
in support of Utah’s nonpoint source efforts. They leverage much of their 319 funding with
grants from NSF, USDA and USU to greatly expand their capacity.
Youth outreach and teacher training:
Utah State University’s water education program continues to reach
youth across the state. In 2014, they provided hands-on activities at 20
separate events in 9 counties around the state, reaching over 5,600 youth.
Almost all these activities include exploration of streams or ponds (see
photo to right). They also continue to train educators and feel that this is
where their impact is greatest. During summer 2014, they trained about 140 teachers at 9
different events on water quality and watershed concepts and lessons. About half of these
trainings are through partnerships, such as the Community Mapping Project. The figure below
shows the product of one of these trainings, in which teachers learn to integrate GPS and GIS
skills with water quality monitoring techniques.
They continue to leverage funding in many ways. They have
recently received $35,000 from the Utah legislature to develop
a new program that focuses on the high population centers
along the Wasatch front and back. Make A Splash in Utah
begins in mid-October and will extend through the spring of
2015. They will train and provide support to about 60
educators on water quality lessons, at the same time providing
family friendly activities at Extension Centers in Provo, Park
City and Ogden. Their hope is to demonstrate the value of this
program and receive ongoing legislative support that can
expand our reach to the entire state.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 23
Finally, they are completing a standalone website for their watershed education programs
(streamsidescience.usu.edu) which includes K-12 lessons, links to the core, STEM activities, and
activities associated with specific watersheds in Utah. These watershed specific links include the
first of their “virtual watersheds” which they are
currently developing with other funds.
Watershed Coordinator Support:
USU continues to support local watershed coordinators
in many ways. They are producing a second
touchscreen display to highlight water quality data and
issues in northern Utah streams, and are now under
contract (non-319 funding) to produce two others for
rivers in the Salt Lake and Provo areas. It is anticipated that producing more of these displays,
which are highly visible and engaging, will include dashboards of data and easy to understand
explanations, as well as “kids areas” that explore adaptations to aquatic life.
In 2014 they updated watershed fact sheets and produced 6 new ones for
watershed throughout the state (see example to the right.) They continue to
work closely with watershed coordinators around the state on their individual
I&E and monitoring needs.
They also continue to maintain several websites with valuable information for
the public, including a separate site for Utah Water Watch and its online
database, the Bear River Watershed Information site, and our main extension
site which provides current and useful information for many
different audiences (see
www.extension.usu.edu/waterquality). In 2014 alone
(through August), this site received over one million hits
and almost 80,000 unique visitors. Over 100 documents,
ranging from the watershed fact sheets to lesson plans, are
available online through their website and through USU
Extension’s publications link. Last year one of these (on
stormwater activities for kids) was downloaded 880,000
times, making it the top Extension download in 2013.
Finally, USU acknowledged the exceptional work of 3 Utah
citizens at a Utah Water Quality Board meeting.
Nominations were solicited from around the state, searching for the most deserving and those
who have had the greatest impact in their areas of expertise. Three award recipients were
presented with a plaque and a check for $300. This year’s winners included: a Utah Water Watch
volunteer monitor, an organizer of a high quality water fair and youth program, and the manager
of a water reclamation facility that is leading the way in his community, finding solutions to
nutrient and other pollutant inputs.
Nutrient Management Education- Rhonda Miller
During FY-2014 Utah State University’s current nutrient management efforts are focused on
maintaining and expanding the Producer’s Website and promoting the Critical Records of Animal
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 24
Production (C.R.A.P.) app. The C.R.A.P. app (available for iPhone and Android) assists
producers in maintaining manure application records for their Nutrient Management Plan. The
information can also be downloaded into a spreadsheet that will help producers with their overall
nutrient management. The spreadsheet is available on the Producer’s Website. The Producer’s
Website, which provides “one-stop” shopping for the producers, is being maintained and
expanded. The website provides information, in laymen’s terms, on the regulations producers are
likely to encounter.
6 State/Local Agency Contributions
1) Utah Conservation Districts/Utah Association of Conservation Districts- Gordon
Younker
Utah Conservation Districts have statutory authority for the prevention of nonpoint source
pollution (Utah Code 17D-3). They provide local leadership to identify resource needs and assist
private property owners and managers obtain the resources to address those needs. The Districts
and UACD partner with the Utah Division of Water Quality to implement Section 319 projects
throughout Utah.
Assistance available through Utah Conservation Districts includes conservation planning,
engineering, and GIS/GPS services. Further, Districts promote and fund educational activities for
children including the Utah Envirothon, fairs, field days, and in-classroom presentations.
UACD has contracted with the Utah Division of Water Quality for agricultural NPS management
contract tracking and administration. The state-level administration is accomplished through
member conservation districts that contract NPS program funding for best management practices
with district cooperators. UACD administers the cost-sharing grants by making payments to
landowners implementing projects. Further, UACD provides payroll, accounting, and personnel
management for conservation districts employing staff, including local watershed coordinators.
2) Utah Division of Natural Resources- Alan Clark
The Watershed Program in the Department of Natural Resources focuses on protecting and
enhancing core values for our present and future quality of life including watershed health
(structure and function), water quality and yield, wildlife populations, and sustainable agriculture.
This is accomplished through the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI), a diverse
partnership of state and federal agencies working together with non-governmental organizations,
industry, local elected officials and stakeholders, coordinated by the Utah Department of Natural
Resources. Locally led teams identify conservation issues and focus areas using existing plans to
address needs at the landscape (watershed) level. Program partners then propose projects to
address these needs and receive input from other partners. Projects are reviewed and ranked by
the regional teams using a standardized scoring system and then are funded from a variety of
sources and contributors.
In fiscal year 2014, with support of $3.95 million from the Utah Legislature, the WRI partnership
(consisting of 91 partners) completed over 130 projects restoring 112,987 acres of uplands and 55
miles of stream and riparian areas. For a full list of WRI projects completed go to:
http://wri.utah.gov/WRI/Projects.aspx?display=Complete . Through the partnership effort,
funding to the Watershed Program from the Legislature was successfully leveraged at over 7 to 1
in on-the-ground projects.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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The long-term results from this effort will be measured in reduced acres burned and suppression
costs by wildfires, reduced soil loss from erosion, reduced sedimentation and storage loss in
reservoirs, improved water quality and yield, improved wildlife populations, reduced risk of
additional federal listing of species under the Endangered Species Act, improved agricultural
production, and resistance to invasive plant species.
3) Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food regularly collaborates with state and federal
partners to assist agricultural producers to maintain viable and productive agricultural lands and
to protect Utah’s natural resources. A strong partnership provides technical and financial
resource options to Utah’s agriculture producer while promoting agricultural sustainability. A
watershed approach is used to work cooperatively with private land owners to prepare
conservation plans that will solve resource problems. Funding options are available from
multiple state and federal programs.
Utah Conservation Commission (UCC)
The UCC is authorized under Title 4, Chapter 18 of the Utah Code. The act's Purpose Declaration
states that "The Legislature finds and declares that the soil and water resources of this state
constitute one of its basic assets and that the preservation of these resources requires planning and
programs to ensure the development and utilization of these resources and to protect them from
the adverse effects of wind and water erosion, sediment, and sediment related pollutants." With
this in mind, the Legislature created in 1937 this unique state government entity and it has been
active continually since, evolving to meet new environmental and social conditions. Today this
16 person board strives to protect the natural resources within the state.
Utah Agriculture Certificate of Environmental Stewardship (ACES)
The ACES program assesses storage, handling and application of fertilizer, pesticides, fuels, and
hazardous wastes. It also assesses grazing management, soil erosion, cropping and irrigation
systems, storage and application of manure, and other agricultural practices that may cause an
impact on natural resources.
The ACES workbook has been written by UDAF and reviewed by agriculture producer groups,
environmental groups, and some State and Federal agencies. Comments have been very
favorable and incorporated into the final version of the workbook. The UCC approved the final
version of the workbook on September 15, 2014 and the program is now ready to start certifying
agriculture producers, this will be a milestone in moving conservation forward and protecting our
natural resources.
Utah Grazing Improvement Program (UGIP)
The Utah Grazing Improvement Program is a broad-based program focused on rangeland
resource health. Its mission is to “improve the productivity, health and sustainability of our
rangelands and watersheds.” A keystone benefit is the reduction of NPS water pollution and the
protection and improvement of water quality and habitat components.
A staff of Grazing Coordinators, located in six regions throughout the state, offers the livestock
industry sound information and assistance regarding grazing issues. A main focus of the program
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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is to invest in and help facilitate improved resource management. Grants are provided for projects
that will enhance grazing management and rangeland resource health.
Agriculture Resource Development Loan Program (ARDL)
Projects eligible for ARDL loans include animal waste management, water usage management
(irrigation systems), rangeland improvement, on farm energy projects, wind erosion control,
disaster mitigation and cleanup, water conveyance projects for both private individuals and canal
companies, and providing crop storage facilities and other farm structures outlined in the ARDL
Policy. These projects all have a direct impact on protecting our natural resources, preventing or
reducing pollution both to water and air and in sustaining the economic viability in rural
communities.
The ARDL section also underwrites loans for the State Revolving Fund (SRF) under the Division
of Water Quality financing projects that eliminate or reduce nonpoint source water pollution on
privately owned lands. That program was recently expanded to include grants as well as loans.
We also underwrite loans for the replacement of Petroleum Storage Tanks for the Department of
Environmental Quality. This program is designed to assist owners and operators in rural Utah by
upgrading, replacing, or closing existing underground tanks to comply with Federal regulations
and to protect the environment.
Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program
The State of Utah currently receives approximately $2 million from the Colorado River Basin
States Salinity Control Forum to reduce salt that enters the Colorado River, which has increased
significantly from the initial $350,000 received in 1997.
Historically, these funds have been allocated solely to improve irrigation practices. However, in
2009 the Forum allowed UDAF to test salt control measures on rangelands. UDAF has acquired
$500,000 for the purpose of testing the feasibility of using rangeland management methods for
salinity control. This project has the potential to provide ranchers with another funding source for
increasing production and protecting natural resources.
The irrigation projects installed through the salinity program are an economic benefit to
agriculture in eastern Utah. The new irrigation systems increase watering efficiency, decrease
water use, and improve crop production and uniformity.
Agriculture Sustainability Task Force
To better understand and address the role that agriculture plays in promoting Utah’s security,
economy, society, culture, and well-being, a Utah Agriculture Sustainability Task Force gathered
and analyzed data and information to make recommendations to promote the sustainability of all
types of agriculture. Eight major issues emerged:
1. Food Security
2. Invasive Species
3. Grazing Management
4. Immigration
5. Urban Agriculture
6. Agriculture Promotion and Profitability
7. Next Generation Farms
8. Irrigation Infrastructure
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In order to address these issues, the Task Force developed a list of proposed actions which can be
found at http://ag.utah.gov/conservation-environmental.html that state, local and federal
governments and the private sector can implement. Agricultural sustainability and protection of
natural resources go hand-in-hand.
Resource Assessments
Utah’s local Conservation Districts are working in each County to prepare a county wide
Resource Assessment to identify local resource concerns. In preparation for that effort, each
county has prepared a list of priority resource concerns identified by the local work group, and
has submitted those to UDAF. Subsequently, UDAF has prepared a Statewide Resource
Assessment which identifies all County priorities. The Resource Assessments will be one tool
used to fund priority projects.
Information and Education
UDAF is willing to provide assistance to Utah agricultural groups, and fairly represent
agricultural interests at the many committee meetings staff are involved with. Some of those
committees include:
Utah Conservation Commission
Utah Association of Conservation Districts
Local Conservation Districts
Utah Water Quality Task Force
Utah Nutrient Core Team
Utah Animal Feed Operation Committee
Local Watershed Committees
UDAF works closely with Utah Legislators to make sure that agriculture is fairly considered in
any legislation that is considered. We also maintain an up-to-date website (www.ag.utah.gov)
that provides information to agriculture producers and the public.
4) Forestry, Fire and State Lands- Bill Zanotti
Forestry, Fire and State Lands received a grant from Department of Environmental Quality to
monitor timber harvesting on private and state lands within the State of Utah. This grant is called
Forest Water Quality Guideline (FWQG) Monitoring. The overall goal of this grant is to
implement a forest water quality monitoring and evaluation program in conjunction with
demonstrated application of Utah’s Forest Water Quality Guidelines (FWQG) identified in Utah’s
State Non-Point Pollution Prevention Plan. Protocols for conducting FWQG’s monitoring have
been developed for use by FFSL’s service foresters.
During the SFY-2014, the following have been accomplished:
Processed 2 notifications to conduct timber harvesting activities
Conducted 4 post-harvest inspections
Conducted 2 pre/in progress inspections of timber harvesting activities
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Completed a report on the effectives of the FWQG’s
7 Federal Agency Contributions
The original MOUs between the Department of Environmental Quality and the Forest Service
and the Bureau of Land Management were executed in 1992. These MOUs have been reviewed
and were revised in 2009. The following entities are now part of the MOU: Forest Service,
Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food,
Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and DEQ – Division of Water Quality. The MOU is to
be reviewed and updated as needed every 5 years. The Water Quality Task Force is currently in
the process of updating this MOU, and should be completed within the State fiscal year.
1) Natural Resource Conservation Service- Norm Evenstad
NRCS employees work in partnership with land users to conserve natural resources on private
lands. These employees are distributed among 26 field offices and 2 area offices that cover the
state of Utah. The individual field offices are managed by District Conservationists who may
cover multiple offices. NRCS employees along with Utah Association of Conservation District
(UACD) employees report progress on activities in the USDA-NRCS performance results system,
which is the basis for the following information.
Financial and technical assistance was provided to land owners, sponsors & managers in Utah
during FY2014 through the various USDA-NRCS programs. Work that directly benefited Non-
Point Source AFO/CAFO concerns in Utah included 1 CNMP plan applied in FY2014.
Non-Point Source/Water Quality related practices: The results shown in the Table H in the
appendices are for all conservation practices planned and applied during fiscal year 2014. A
number of the practices listed have direct & indirect water quality benefits, that as a whole, can
show overall positive benefits for surface and ground water quality.
NRCS Water Quality Initiative (WQI) 2013:
The NRCS National Water Quality Initiative (WQI) establishes priority watersheds nationwide to
help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in
impaired streams. NRCS offers producers an opportunity to implement conservation and
management practices through a systems approach to control and trap nutrient and manure runoff.
Qualified producers can receive assistance for installing conservation practices such as cover
crops and filter strips.
Three qualified areas (HUC-12 Watersheds) have been selected through an NRCS priority
selection process in cooperation with the Utah Division of Water Quality and local partnerships.
Up to about $500,000 may be made available through an application process conducted under
authority of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Partners sometimes offer financial assistance in addition to NRCS programs. Practices planned
with WQI assistance may include: Waste Storage Facility, Pond Sealing/Lining, Solid/Liquid
Waste Separation Facility, Waste Transfer, Pumping Plant, Fence, Irrigation System, Sprinkler,
Pumping Plant, Structure for Water Control, Irrigation Pipeline, Forage and Biomass Planting,
Obstruction Removal, Nutrient Management, Irrigation Water Management, Riparian Herbaceous
Cover, etc.
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The NRCS will continue to coordinate with local and state agencies, conservation districts,
nongovernmental organizations and others to implement this initiative. This strategic approach
will leverage funds and provide streamlined assistance to help individual agricultural producers
take needed actions to reduce the flow of sediment, nutrients and other runoff into impaired
waterways.
The NRCS-Utah’s intent for prioritization of watersheds for the WQ initiative is to use the State
Division of Water Quality’s strategy of rotating planning/funding efforts by River Basin
2) Forest Service- Mark Muir
The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, manages National Forest
System (NFS) lands across the country. All or a portion of six National Forests are in Utah. These
public lands are managed by staff at Forest Headquarters and Ranger District offices throughout
the State, with support from the Intermountain Regional Forester’s office in Ogden.
High-quality water is one of the most important natural resources coming from these NFS lands.
In addition to providing drinking water and other municipal needs, this water sustains populations
of fish and wildlife, affords recreation opportunities, and provides supplies to meet downstream
agricultural and industrial needs throughout the State.
Non-point source pollution control is a key component of managing NFS lands for high-quality
water. Direct control is accomplished through two primary mechanisms:
prescription, implementation, and monitoring of best management practices (BMPs) for a
variety of land use and management activities1, and
implementation of watershed improvement projects.
Additionally, direct non-point source pollution control may occur after wildfire if burned area
emergency response (BAER) assessments prescribe the implementation of treatments designed to
mitigate fire effects.
Indirectly, the Forest Service provides for non-point source pollution control through sustaining
or restoring watershed function and resilience so that NFS lands are resistant to catastrophic
events such as fire, insects and disease, and a changing climate.
In 2014 the Forest Service continued implementation of a national best management practices
program that provides a standard set of core BMPs2 and a consistent means to track and document
the use and effectiveness of BMPs on NFS lands across the country. These core BMPs integrate
individual State and NFS regional BMPs under one umbrella. They are general and non-
prescriptive and will not change the substance of site-specific BMP prescriptions. Site-specific
prescriptions will continue to be based on State of Utah BMPs, the Intermountain Region Soil and
Water Conservation Practices (SWCP) handbook, Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP)
standard and guidelines specific to each of the six Forests, annual BMP monitoring information,
and professional judgment.
1 For example, motorized and non-motorized recreation, leasable and locatable minerals, range
management, timber management, special uses permitting, wildlife and fisheries habitat management 2 http://www.fs.fed.us/biology/resources/pubs/watershed/FS_National_Core_BMPs_April2012.pdf
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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The national forests in Utah, in addition to their long-standing use of State BMPS, the SWCP
handbook, Forest Plan guidance, annual BMP monitoring, and professional judgment, are using
these national core BMPs in project planning, design, and implementation. Implementation and
effectiveness monitoring by individual personnel and interdisciplinary teams is a core part of
Forest Service best management practices. In 2014, twenty of the national core BMPs were
formally monitored by interdisciplinary teams. Results of the reviews will be entered into a
national database, which over time will help demonstrate and document the effects of
implementing BMPs for different activities across the country.
In 2014 the Forest Service continued implementation of the Watershed Condition Framework
(WCF)3. Forests within Utah continued implementation of integrated (essential) projects
identified in priority watershed restoration action plans written in 2011. These projects are
specifically designed to improve or maintain watershed health, including the reduction or
elimination of non-point source pollution. In addition to work in these priority watersheds,
Forests completed watershed improvement projects in non-priority watersheds that directly
improved watershed conditions. Project types varied but included, among other things, road and
trail decommissioning and re-routing, gully control, spring and riparian area fencing, and stream
restoration. Additional projects were implemented that will have an indirect effect on sustaining
and restoring watershed function and resilience. Again, project types varied, but included fuel
reduction, aquatic habitat improvement, invasive plant treatment, and forest and rangeland
vegetation improvement. One watershed, Swift Creek, located on the Ashley National Forest, was
moved to an improved condition class per WCF protocols.
In addition to BMP implementation/monitoring, and watershed restoration activities, Forest
Service (BAER) teams assessed fires that burned in Utah on NFS lands that had potential effects
on life and property, long-term soil productivity, and water quality. Common recommendations
for burned areas included Early Detection, Rapid Response (EDRR) treatment of noxious and
invasive plants, seeding and mulching of hillslopes with moderate to severe soil burn severity,
and various road drainage improvement projects.
Per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State of Utah and Federal Agencies,
a federal consistency review of activities and conditions on NFS lands occurred on the Manti-
LaSal National Forest. Personnel from the Utah Division of Water Quality joined FS employees
for on site reviews of various projects, including fuels reduction, sediment catchment basins,
seeding and mulching of burned hillslopes, and recreational erosion improvements. Federal
consistency reviews are a useful opportunity for coordination and collaboration on nonpoint
source pollution issues, and will continue on a different forest each year in Utah.
3) Bureau of Land Management (BLM)- Jeremy Jarnecke
BLM manages approximately 23 million acres of Utah’s public lands with the mission to:
‘sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment of
present and future generations.’ BLM manages lands and resources through a multiple-use
framework that provides for a variety of uses including; energy & mineral development, livestock
3 http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/watershed/
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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grazing, recreation, and timber harvest, while protecting cultural/ historical properties, water
resources, wildlife, and other natural resources.
Utah BLM continues to implement land and watershed improvement projects to benefit water
quality through a variety of programs and partnerships including BLM’s Clean Water and
Watershed Restoration (CWWR) Program, BLM Healthy Lands Initiative, State of Utah
Watershed Restoration Initiative, the Bureau of Reclamation Salinity Control Forum, and many
local watershed groups. These efforts include implementation of watershed improvement
projects designed to improve land health and reduce long-term erosion and sedimentation rates.
Watershed improvement based activities are discussed below by Field Office or Management
Unit.
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
In 2012, BLM staff reviewed 1950’s era watershed improvement projects and discovered that the
18 acre Eight Mile sediment retention structure was nearly full and a head-cut was migrating up
to the spillway. The site is located ~ 25 miles east of Kanab, UT. The earthen dam was
constructed to retain salt/selenium laden sediments from the eroding geologic formations at the
base of the Vermillion Cliffs. Since installation, the reservoir has accumulated ~16 feet of
sediment over ~7 acres. The restoration plan to stabilize and increase flood & sediment storage
capacity of the failing structure included excavation & storage of salt-laden deposited sediments,
extension of the dam, invasive non-native tamarisk removal, and stabilization of the spillway and
outflow channel. The project was initiated in 2013 with $85,000 of BLM/BOR Salinity Program
funding, with all work being completed except for sediment removal and storage. In 2014, the
GSENM received an additional $100,000 of Salinity Program funding to remove sediment and
increase the storage capacity of the failing structure. Approximately 13-15,000 cubic yards of
sediment were excavated and deposited in a stable upland location.
Eight Mile Impoundment before excavation Eight Mile Impoundment after excavation
BLM Healthy Landscape Initiative (HLI) and Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI)
Utah BLM is in its eleventh year of cooperative implementation of the statewide Utah Watershed
Restoration Initiative through its participation in the Utah Partners for Conservation and
Development. This is a multi-agency Federal, State, and private partnership treating lands for
watershed improvement and long-term habitat restoration. Funds are contributed by partners,
including non-governmental organizations and wildlife groups. Projects are submitted and
prioritized by regional teams prior to submittal for final approval and funding by the statewide
oversight team. BLM funds primarily come through the Wildlife, Fuels, and Healthy Lands
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Initiative programs. Moab BLM continues to participate in the agreement with the Dolores River
Restoration Partnership, which has multiple NGOs, private, BLM, and other federal partners
focusing efforts on the Dolores River.
Under this program, over 20,000 acres of BLM lands in Utah were treated in 2014, although total
treatment area including other Federal, State and private lands as part of the cooperative effort is
well more than 2 to 3 times that number. Treatments include riparian restoration, tamarisk and
Russian olive removal, sagebrush restoration (Dixie-harrow and seeding), removal of juniper
through bullhog and hand thinning methods, wildlife and rangeland seeding, cheatgrass treatment
and reseeding degraded rangelands, and other similar projects. The Utah Division of Wildlife
Resources website has interactive maps and project descriptions: http://wildlife.utah.gov/WRI/
Table J in the appendices shows a tally of the projects completed during FY 2014. These are
interagency funded projects and funding for most projects is based on the state fiscal year so
some of these were actually started in the fall of 2014. More information can be found searching
the database utilizing the project number and various report features.
BLM Moab Field Office
The BLM Moab Field Office was granted $30,000 in FY14 to construct grazing exclosures in
moderately saline soils (8-16 mmhos/cm). This project has been ongoing since FY10, with a total
of 19 grazing exclosures constructed to date by the Canyon Country Youth Corps. The goal of
this project is to have grazing exclosure coverage in every grazing allotment with more than 10%
saline soils. Most new exclosures are located adjacent to long-term study sites maintained by
BLM range staff.
The BLM Moab Field Office continued to work with the USGS Southwest Biological Science
Center (Mike Duniway) as part of the ongoing grazing exclosure project. The USGS is
collaborating with BLM staff and collecting comprehensive soil and vegetation data at permanent
paired study plots located inside and outside grazing exclosures. Monitoring data from these long-
term study sites can help direct grazing management actions to ensure stable and healthy soil
conditions in these sensitive and highly erodible soils. With good soil conditions, soil erosion
and associated salinity loading to the Colorado River Basin is minimized.
In FY14, the BLM entered into an agreement with the Grand County Road Dept. and helped to
fund a feasibility study to assess potential alternatives and stabilizing techniques for the Onion
Creek road. This road is located in a narrow canyon corridor and crosses Onion Creek over 25
times in less than 8 miles. With a steep gradient, Onion Creek originates in the La Sal mountains
and enters the Colorado River in less than 30 miles. This leads to frequent large floods which
damage the roadbed and adjacent stream banks. The feasibility study will identify the most stable
location for the road and develop a priority list of future stream bank stabilization projects.
In FY14, the BLM Moab Field Office conducted riparian restoration projects along 11 miles of
the Colorado and Dolores River Corridors. These projects received over $200,000 in funding
from multiple partners including BLM Clean Water Watershed Restoration funds (CWWR), the
Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (UWRI), the Dolores River Restoration Partnership
(DRRP) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Restoration actions included removal of invasive
Tamarisk trees, herbicide treatments on secondary weeds such as Russian Knapweed and Kochia,
and planting 2,000 locally-sourced shrubs and trees at previously treated sites along the Colorado
and Dolores Rivers. The plantings were maintained by weeding and watering throughout the
year, and are showing great survival rates.
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The Moab Field Office is involved with the local Moab Area Watershed Partnership (MAWP), a
group of land managers, water managers and concerned citizens that are committed to improving
watershed and specifically water quality conditions in the Mill Creek and Castle Creek
Watersheds. Both Mill Creek and Castle Creek are listed as impaired by the UDWQ. This
partnership group has recently completed a draft watershed management plan which outlines
water resource conditions, issues and potential projects.
As part of this collaboration, BLM has contracted with a local non-profit group Moab Solutions
to organize frequent volunteer events in Mill Creek to clean up trash, close duplicate hiking trails
and pull invasive species. To support the MAWP goals, BLM also assists with data collection in
Mill Creek including stream temperature and stream flow studies, E.coli studies and general
water quality monitoring. BLM funds a USGS stream gauge on Mill Creek downstream of a
large irrigation diversion to monitor stream flows and stream temperature.
BLM Vernal Field Office
Pariette Wetlands
In 2014, the Vernal Field Office received ~$50,000 for operations and ongoing studies associated
with the Pariette Wetland system in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah. This salinity funding
was provided to Utah State University (USU) to assist the BLM Vernal Field Office in the
development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) which will produce an Integrated Activity
Plan (IAP) for the management of the Pariette Wetlands Area of Critical Environmental Concern
(ACEC).
Development of an Integrated Activity Plan is a requirement of the 2008 Vernal Resource
Management Plan (RMP). The IAP identifies goals for the ACEC, management actions to
achieve those goals, and monitoring requirements to ensure the identified goals are achieved. The
management actions include RMP requirements, general management practices, allowable uses
and constraints, and mitigation measures that would protect and enhance the Pariette Wetlands
ACEC’s relevant and important values, special status bird and plant habitat and wetlands
ecosystem while recognizing valid existing rights.
Utah State University is in process of analyzing existing data to develop waterfowl trends for
abundance, occupancy, and species richness.
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Arid Land Study
This project involves reclamation techniques on disturbed arid land field trials. The disturbance is
located on arid lands with harsh soils that contain high amounts of salts and sodium. Reclamation
success following disturbance on these harsh soils has been quite poor.
The project area is located within the Pariette Watershed which drains into the Pariette Wetlands.
Over the last five years energy related development has resulted in the disturbance of several
thousand acres of salt and sodium affected soils that have not been successfully reclaimed. This
has resulted in a large increase in erosion and sediment rates which have been transported to the
wetlands resulting in declines in water quality.
This project is entering its’ fourth phase of an ongoing assistance agreement that has been in
place to study reclamation of disturbed arid lands. This phase will involve field trials of different
reclamation techniques to determine the efficacy of treatments such as seeding mixtures,
mulching rates, soil amendments, fertilizer, etc., in efforts to reach successful reclamation. By
learning what is required to reclaim disturbed arid lands with high sodium and salt contents, the
energy industry along with other involved parties will be able to apply these techniques to
disturbed areas thereby reducing the amount of produced sediment and salts presently being
introduced into Pariette Wetlands and ultimately the Green River.
Previous phases I & II have concluded that 1) most disturbed sites are compacted and soils have
high salinity content, 2) Invasive or noxious species (halogeton, cheatgrass, russian thistle) are
prevalent, and 3) amending soils with organic carbon increases establishment of native plants and
negatively affects invasive/noxious species. With 2014 salinity funding, a series of 6x6 meter
plots with nine different treatments were established at two locations. Monitoring of native plant
establishment, invasive/noxious species, compaction control, and organic carbon content are to be
monitored for at least two years after plot establishment.
Photo of treatment plots.
Salt Lake Field Office
The Salt Lake Field Office experienced a number of wildland fires in 2014 and completed
emergency stabilization and revegetation to reduce erosion. The Rocky Complex Emergency
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Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ESR) project involved 1,935 BLM acres of which 1,862 were
seeded and 1,570 acres were chained. 70 Erosion Control Structures were proposed, and
something close to 70 were built. Other measures implemented following the fire include culvert
replacement and fire-related sediment removal from ponds containing endangered Boreal Toads.
The Wildflower ESR included components of willow plantings on ~0.7 miles of Lee Creek and
seeding of 679 acres of burn area.
Willow Plantings on Lee Creek. Willow Plantings on Lee Creek.
4) The Bureau of Reclamation- Ben Radcliffe
The US Bureau of Reclamation funds irrigation improvement projects through the Colorado
River Basin wide Salinity Control Program. Reclamation Salinity Program projects in progress in
2014 include:
- Sheep Creek Irrigation Company – South Valley Lateral: Located in Dagget County, Utah, the
South Valley Lateral serves the lower Lucern Valley near Manila, Utah. This earthen canal
will be replaced with a 7.5 mile pipeline with an estimated off-farm salt load reduction of 3,373
tons/year. This off-farm project was fully funded by Reclamation through the Basinwide
Program at $4,026,000.
- Cottonwood Creek Consolidated Irrigation Co. – Blue Cut/Mammoth Project: This project is
situated in Emery County near Castledale and Orangeville, Utah. Approximately 18.4 miles of
earthen ditches will be replaced with a pressurized pipeline system with an estimated off-farm
salt load reduction of 3,789 tons/year. This off-farm project was partially funded by
Reclamation through the Basinwide Program at $5,500,000.
- The Huntington-Cleveland Irrigation Company is continuing construction of their salinity
control project in Emery County.
Reclamation is planning to release a Funding Opportunity Announcement in 2015 which will
fund new projects beginning in Fiscal Year 2016.
5) U.S. National Park Service- Rebecca Weissinger
The National Park Service is a significant land manager of 2.1 million acres in Utah, or about
3.9% of the state, and hosts 9 million visitors per year. National Park System units have a dual
Congressional mandate to preserve natural and cultural resources and to provide for their
enjoyment by the public in such a manner that will leave them unimpaired for future generations.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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There are 13 National Park System units in Utah. On-going water quality monitoring, in
cooperation with the State of Utah, occurs at seven of these National Park units. In addition to
routine water quality monitoring, sampling for pesticides, wastewater indicators, pharmaceuticals,
and personal care products also occurred at seven national park units in Utah in cooperation with
the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Geological Survey.
In 2014, the National Park Service completed the second year of a three-year funded project to
treat non-native tamarisk trees and herbaceous non-native invasive plants at priority sites in the
riparian corridors of the Colorado and Green Rivers in Canyonlands National Park. The primary
benefits of this project include creating better visitor experiences, reducing fire risk in river
campsites, preserving biodiversity by decreasing risk of fire spreading into native tree stands, and
the eventual replacement of beetle-impacted tamarisk stands with native vegetation. Indirect
benefits include overall reduced erosion of bank sediments into the river as fire frequency and fire
size is reduced.
A cooperative study with Utah Division of Water Quality to determine the source and degree of
bacterial contamination in the North Fork Virgin River was continued upstream from Zion
National Park in 2014. Progress was made with agency coordination seeking a resolution to the E.
coli contamination problem. The National Park Service entered into an agreement with the Utah
Association of Conservation Districts to work with landowners and permittees on improving
irrigation practices to reduce return flow back to the river. Limited monitoring in 2014 showed
that the contamination is continuing similar to previous years.
8 Federal Consistency Review and NPS Project Tours for FY-14
During FY-14, DEQ continued to use a combination of approaches to work collaboratively with
federal land management agencies and others to promote federal consistency with the State NPS
Pollution Management Program. As part of this program, tours of projects implemented by
federal agencies are organized every year. The following is a summary of a tour that took place
in the Manti La Sal National Forest and surrounding areas.
Utah Federal Consistency Review
Manti La Sal National Forest
October 7th-8th, 2014
Jim Bowcutt (UDEQ), Carl Adams (UDEQ), Amy Dickey (UDEQ), Scott Daly (UDEQ), Mark
Muir (USFS), Jeff Bruggink (USFS), Robert Davidson (USFS), Molly Ryan (USFS)
October 7th (Day 1)
Dry Canyon Fuels Reduction
One of the priorities of the Forest Service is to conduct fuels reduction activities that will reduce
the likelihood, extent, and intensity of wildfires on USFS administered lands. In the Dry Canyon
area a fuels reduction project was done on the boundary of the Forest and private land. Since the
main species of trees present at this site were Pinyon, Juniper, and scrub oak the “mastication”
treatment was used. This treatment uses an attachment on a skid steer which mulches the trees in
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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place. The mulch is then left on the ground to help control erosion and improve soil health. Only
the trees on the boundary of the Forest Service were treated, thus leaving a nice mosaic of habitat
for the wildlife.
Fuels Reduction Project in Dry Canyon
Forest Service Sediment Catchment Basins Huntington Canyon
In an attempt to capture some of the debris flows resulting from the Seeley fire, the Forest Service
installed a catchment basin consisting of three sediment control structures. These structures were
constructed to allow the main flow of the creek to pass down the side of the structures, and
capture sediment only during high flow events in the adjacent ponds. While it appeared that these
structures worked for a time, a recent storm had deposited enough fallen trees, rock and sand to
shift all of the creek flow to the catchment basins. This caused the upper diversion structures to
fail, and very little sediment was caught in the basins. The Forest Service explained that they
have found that it is much more effective to treat burn areas higher in the watershed, especially
the larger fires such as the Seeley Fire. The Forest Service plans on coming back in, cleaning the
debris from the creek bed, and fixing the structures in the future.
Sediment Catchment Basins Debris Blocking the Creek
Miller Flat Recreational Erosion Improvements
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Miller Flats at the top of Huntington Canyon is an area that is heavily used for recreational
activities such as camping, hunting, and riding ATVs. In the past, illegal roads and over-use of
the lands had resulted in high rates of erosion and compaction of the soils in the area. Over the
past several years the Forest Service has been working to help reduce recreational impacts to the
lands and reduce erosion. To accomplish this they have been blocking off areas where ATVs and
trucks had left the established roads. They have also been removing some of the dead standing
spruce trees and planting new trees in popular camping areas. A good gravel base has been laid
down on the main road to encourage people to stay on the established roadways. This has
significantly reduced erosion, and improved the quality and the aesthetics of the forest in the area.
Improved road and camping area
in Miller Flat Area Vehicle Barriers in Miller Flat Area
October 8th (Day 2)
Gentry Mountain Area
Gentry Mountain is located near the top of the watershed that had been burned by the Seeley Fire
in 2009. In an attempt to reestablish vegetation, and reduce erosion in the burn area the Forest
Service aerially applied winter wheat to the burn area, and layed down wood mulch to help
reduce erosion. The goal of the Forest Service was to achieve 50% ground cover with the mulch.
It appeared as though the burn area was recovering very well. There were still large areas where
mulch and winter wheat were present, but there was also large amounts of native vegetation that
had taken hold including wild rasperries, grasses, and aspen trees. It appeared as though cattle
had been allowed to graze the area. It is recommended that cattle not have access to the treated
area for 1-2 years after treatment, but this is very hard to enforce. Overall it appears to be a very
successful project.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Treated area near Gentry Mountain
Huntington Debris Basin
To help protect infrastructure below the watershed that had been impacted by the Seeley Fire,
Emery County has installed a large debris catchment structure on the main stem of Huntington
River. This structure consists of a large “trash rack” that catch larger debris such as trees and
large boulders from passing downstream. It also has a large catchment area that allows the finer
sediments to settle out. While this is a very effective structure, it does require a large amount of
maintenance especially after large storm events. The larger debris needs to be cleaned out after
every storm, and the finer sediments will need to be dredged out from time to time. Overall, it
appeared as though the structure was holding up well with the large storm events that the area had
recently experienced, and seems to be functioning as it was intended.
Debris Catchment Basin on Debris Removed from Catchment Basin
Main Stem of Huntington River
Left Hand Fork of Huntington River
The Left hand Fork of Huntington Canyon was heavily impacted by the Seeley Fire. As a result
large debris flows resulted in closure of the campground at the bottom of the canyon while crews
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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work to stabilize the watershed and install structures that will reduce the amount of large woody
debris leaving the drainage. The Forest Service has been getting pressure from the County to
remove large log jams that are present in the drainage. However, some of these log jams are so
large that it has not been determined the process that should be used to do this. The Forest
Service has installed several structures across the river that will catch large woody debris that will
then be removed from the stream. Some possible scenarios for the larger log jams could be
burning of the log jams, or simply leaving them and allowing them to catch sediment behind
them, and come down on their own. It was noted that the recent larger storms that the area had
experienced did clear out about one third of the logs that had previously been present in the log
jam.
Campground impacted by Debris Flow Structure for capturing Large Woody Debris
Log Jam in Left Hand Fork of Huntington Canyon
Bridges Campground
Bridges Campground is located in Huntington Canyon at the bottom of a drainage that had
burned in the Seeley Fire. One of the areas of debate that resulted from the Seeley Fire was how
long the Forest Service needed to keep certain campgrounds closed. While some individuals
wanted to open the Bridges Campground almost immediately after the fire it was decided that it
would be best in the interest of public safety if the campground remained closed indefinitely.
Shortly after this decision was made large storm events sent debris down the drainage essentially
destroying the campground. While the upper sites may open in the next 4-5 years, the lower
campground will remained closed indefinitely.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Old Campground Site Tree Showing Depth of Debris Flow (10-12 ft)
County Sediment Catchment Basins
The County has installed catchment basins similar to the ones that were installed by the Forest
Service. Crews were there maintaining these basins. Since the County used more riprap and
concrete to build their structures it appeared as though they were able to withstand the impacts
from the recent storm events better than the ones that were installed by the Forest. They also
were able to catch a large amount of sediment during the recent storms. However, there is still
some question as to if constructing catchment basins this low in the watershed is the most
effective use of resources when a catastrophic fire takes place. These structures will continually
need to be cleaned out to continue to function properly.
County Sediment Catchment Basin
End of report
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 42
2014 EPA Project Tour
August 11th-13th, 2014
Location:
Colorado River Watershed
Participants:
Gary Kleeman (Environmental Protection Agency), Jim Bowcutt, Carl Adams, Scott Daly, Amy
Dickey, Mike Allred, Hilary Arens (Utah Division of Water Quality), Marian Hubbard (Salt Lake
County), Arne Hultquist (Grand Conservation District), Rick Rosenberg (Rosenberg Associates),
Jason Bradshaw (Natural Resource Conservation Service), Jim Webb (Circle 4 Farms), David
Erley (City of Castle Valley), Tina Marian (US Forest Service), Ann Marie Aubry ( Bureau of
Land Management), Kara Dohrenwend (Grand Conservation District), Jon Pike (St. George
City), Keith Hanson (Salt Lake County Service Area 3)
Day 1 August 11th
Jordan River Watershed
Emigration Creek (Salt Lake County)
In 2013 Salt Lake County transferred $46,633 in Section 319(h) funding from a project on the
main stem of the Jordan River, which had been completed, to a project on Emigration Creek.
This project is located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon and continues downstream through the
Hogle Zoo. Emigration Creek is listed for E.coli, and also has issues with erosion in various
locations. The sources of E.coli include septic systems and pet waste due to the high traffic usage
of this area.
One of the main purposes of this project was to restrict access of dogs to the riparian area, and
restore the riparian corridor to a properly functioning state. In order to do this a fence was
constructed around a popular wading area restricting pets and their owners from entering into a
retention basin located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. The site was also revegetated using
seed mixtures, vegetative plugs, and fibrous netting. Initially, people that utilize the adjacent park
were disgruntled that their animals were restricted from the riparian area, and even tried to take
the fence down, but now it appears as though people have begun to accept the need for the fence,
and recently very little vandalism has been observed.
The restoration work is scheduled to continue down through the Zoo, and should be completed by
the end of October.
Fencing and restoration work on Emigration Creek
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 43
Alta Zinc Reduction Project
Little Cottonwood Creek is currently listed on the State 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies due to
high levels of zinc present in flows from old abandoned mines north of Alta Ski Resort. In an
attempt to reduce zinc concentrations Salt Lake County, in cooperation with the Friends of Alta,
received a 319 grant to field test a limestone treatment system to evaluate its feasibility for
reducing zinc from the water leaving the collapsed mine portal.
The water is run through a series of 55 gallon plastic drums containing limestone and a slow sand
filter. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is also injected during the treatment process to help with the
flocculation of the zinc which then drops out into the drums, and is disposed of as sludge in an
approved disposal facility.
Currently only 1-3 gallons per minute are being treated at the site due to the amount of limestone
needed to treat the water. However, once the study has been completed, and the process
optimized they will install two larger treatment containers and treat upwards of 100 gallons per
minute. While it’s not anticipated that the treatment process will reduce the amount of zinc in the
drainage water low enough to meet standards, once the treated water reaches Little Cottonwood
Creek it will be diluted, and Little Cottonwood Creek is expected to meet water quality standards.
Pilot Zinc Treatment Project Near Alta Ski Resort
Price River Watershed
Helper City Project- Price River
One of the goals in the West Colorado River FY-2009 & 2010 Section 319 project
implementation plans is to reduce sediment loading to the Price River through the stabilization of
streambanks. The area of focus for this restoration activity is located near the town of Helper
City. The Price River through Helper City has been channelized, and is choked with debris that is
decreasing the functionality of the riparian zone. The purpose of this project is to help restore the
flood plain, and reduce erosion that is currently taking place through this reach of the Price River.
During this site visit an informal discussion between local leaders and the Utah Division of Water
Quality was held to determine if additional funding would be available in the future to continue
with project implementation. It was determined that the demonstration project should be
completed before additional funding would be awarded. It was also determined that the Division
of Water Quality does not have enough funding to fund the project in its entirety, and that
additional funding sources must continue to be sought.
Helper City is currently evaluating bids from contractors for the demonstration project, and the
work should be done by the end of October.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 44
Meeting between State and Local Decision Makers on Site in Helper City
Day 2 August 12th
Moab Watershed
Pack Creek Riparian Restoration Project
The lower section of Pack Creek runs through the middle of Moab City and is highly urbanized.
At this site a large amount of concrete rip-rap was dumped in the floodplain then covered with
Soil. This large mound of earth has restricted the floodplain, and is susceptible to erosion during
storm events, which are common in this flashy system. It is proposed that 319 funding be used to
remove the earth and concrete rip-rap from the floodplain and restore the connectivity of the
riparian zone. This project is being proposed by Moab City.
Earthen deposit located in the Floodplain on Pack Creek in Moab City
Mill Creek Revegetation Project
In Southern Utah invasive species such as Tamarisk and Russian Olive trees have taken over
much of the riparian zones. When an area is infested with these species native vegetation is
smothered and eventually dies out, greatly reducing ideal habitat that previously existed. To
improve habitat and biodiversity many agencies around the state are involved in an effort to
eradicate these invasive species. However after the invasive species have been removed the
landscape is more prone to erosion since no native vegetation is present. In an attempt to reduce
erosion and increase shading to reduce water temperatures in Mill Creek, Rim to Rim Restoration
has received a grant to revegetate these areas with native vegetation. This will help restore the
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 45
riparian corridor to its natural state, reduce erosion, increase shading of the river, and improve
wildlife habitat.
At this site erosion was evident as a result of the lack of vegetation. Rim to Rim Restoration has
done some planting in the vicinity, and is familiar with what species seem to do well in this area.
This project will be funded with FY-2015 319 funding, and planting could begin as soon as next
summer.
Erosion on Mill Creek West of Moab
Mill Creek Recreational Impacts
Over the years Moab has become a very popular recreational destination in Utah. With the
increase of usage, the upper section of Mill Creek has also seen an increase in degradation. Much
of this degradation is a result of the encroachment of invasive species in the riparian zone, as well
as an increase of foot traffic.
The purpose of this site visit was to look at a project that is proposed for funding in 2015 using
Section 319 funding. It is proposed that the funding will be used to help improve the riparian
zone by removing invasive plants, replanting native vegetation and restricting access to the
riparian area. They will also improve the existing trails in hopes that it will encourage people to
stay on the trails. They will also police the trails, and erect signage stating what the impacts of
improper use can have on the ecosystem.
Recreational Impacts on Upper Mill Creek Treated Site on Mill Creek
Manti LaSal Spring Protection Projects
The Utah Division of Water Quality has awarded grants to the U.S. Forest Service for spring
protection projects on the Manti-La Sal National Forest for the past two years. These projects
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 46
were funded with State NPS funding. During this tour, Old Pole Spring and Web Spring were
visited.
In order to protect the springs and wetlands surrounding the springs from cattle trampling, the
Forest Service has fenced the area surrounding the springs and conveyed water down the hill to
watering troughs located far away from the spring and adjacent wetlands. The Forest service
plans on implementing several other spring protection projects similar to these in the coming
years.
Old Pole Spring Exclosure Old Pole Spring Watering Trough
Web Spring Exclosure
Castle Valley Porcupine Fire Restoration
In 2009 the Porcupine fire burned approximately 4,000 acres in the upper section of the Castle
Valley watershed. This caused significant erosional issues, and resulted in large debris flows.
While much of the watershed has been reseeded and recovered from this fire, there are still areas
of the watershed that are void of vegetation, and pose an erosional threat that may undo what
healing has occurred. The City of Castle Valley will be receiving $16,000 in State NPS Funds to
help with additional reseeding throughout the watershed.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
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Burn area of the 2009 Porcupine Fire and proposed restoration site
Castle Creek Restoration Project
Castle Creek flows directly through the town of Castle Valley east of Moab. Castle Creek is
currently listed as impaired for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). One of the most significant
sources of salts found in the watershed comes from eroding stream banks. In a flashy system
such as this, the establishment of vegetation is the best way to stabilize the streambanks. The
City of Castle Valley is planning on using $12,000 in section 319 funds to help stabilize the
stream banks using vegetative plantings along the river through the town. This project will be
initiated in the spring of 2015 when the 319 funding is made available.
Castle Creek in Castle Valley, Utah
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 48
Day 3- August 13th
Virgin River Watershed
St. George Storm Water Retention Basins
While the Utah Division of Water Quality does not fund storm water infrastructure required by a
MS4 storm water permit, they are willing to fund demonstration projects that go above and
beyond their storm water permit requirements, and use innovative approaches to provide
additional water quality benefits.
The City of St. George has received a State Nonpoint Source grant to help improve an existing
storm water retention basin on the edge of the Virgin River to reduce the amount of sediment
entering into the Virgin River during storm events and provide additional wildlife habitat. The
retention basin is one of three that were submitted for funding from DWQ. If this retention basin
proves to be an effective means to remove sediment from the Virgin River, or if it can make it so
the system is not as flashy during storm events there is a possibility that other similar projects
could be funded in the future.
Proposed location of St. George Retention Basin
Pinto Creek Demonstration Project
The Sevier, Cedar, and Beaver watershed management units will be the targeted basins for the
FY-2016 funding. It is anticipated that Pinto Creek, a tributary to Newcastle Reservoir, will be
an area of focus during this funding cycle. To help generate interest for water quality
improvement projects in this watershed a demonstration project will be implemented this year.
This project will include the stabilization of the stream bank, limiting cattle access to the river,
improved pasture management, and installation of juniper revetments. While several land owners
have already expressed interest in participating in these implementation efforts, the Division of
Water Quality feels as though this will be good to bring on any landowners that are unsure of
their future commitments regarding the implementation of conservation practices on their
property.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 49
Future Pinto Creek Project Locations
Circle Four Hog Farm
The final visit of the tour was to the Circle Four Farms in Milford Utah. During this site visit the
Environmental Specialist for the farm led a tour to see how the pig waste was being disposed.
Currently most of the liquids are being disposed of through evaporation ponds. They also have a
nice composting facility to dispose of the solids. These solids are sold to local landowners, and
are applied to their fields to help meet crop nutrient needs.
A methane digester is also being used to generate power from the pig waste. The power
generated from the digester is sold to the power company.
Circle Four Farms has also been excited to participate in the ACES program. They would like to
set an example for other producers in the state, and show the Utah Division of Water Quality and
the Department of Agriculture and Food that they are committed to be good stewards of the land.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 50
9 APPENDICIES
Figure 1 Project Location Map
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 51
TABLE A- COMPLETED AND ACTIVE 319 PROJECTS (SEE FIGURE 1)
TABLE B- 319 FINAL PROJECT REPORTS SUBMITTED IN FY-14
Project Title Total 319
Award
Date
Received
FY-08 Middle Bear River TMDL Implementation $212,500 12/9/2013
FY-08 Lower Bear River TMDL Implementation $32,100 12/16/2013
FY-08 Strawberry River/East Daniels $61,600 12/13/2013
FY-08 San Pitch River WS TMDL Implementation $118,000 12/12/2013
FY-08 Matt Warner, Calder Res/Pot Creek $64,800 9/9/2013
FY-09 Jordan River Ecosystem Restoration $24,560 9/12/2013
FY-09 Local Watershed Coordinator Support $517,691 9/20/2013
FY-10 Utah NPS Program Management Review $66,582 12/15/2013
FY-10 Matt Warner, Calder Res/Pot Creek $63,600 9/9/2013
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 52
TABLE C- SUMMARY OF ACTIVE UTAH 319(H) GRANTS FY-14
Project Title Total NPS Award Grant Status
USU Extension NPS I&E
Outreach FY-09
$33,500 Final Report Submitted
Awaiting Approval
Lower Bear River WS TMDL
Implementation FY-09
$41,000 Project complete Awaiting
Final Report
Upper Bear River WS TMDL
Implementation FY-09
$153,140 Project complete Awaiting
Final Report
Middle Sevier River WS
TMDL Implementation FY-09
$44,984 Project complete Awaiting
Final Report
Upper Sevier River WS
TMDL Implementation FY-09
$122,790 Project complete Awaiting
Final Report
West Colorado River WS
TMDL Implementation FY-09
$85,017 Project complete Awaiting
Final Report
Forest Water Quality
Guidelines Monitoring FY-09
$33,870 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Jordan River Ecosystem
Restoration FY-09
$24,560 Final Report Submitted
Awaiting Approval
Emigration Creek Restoration
FY-09
$38,028.66 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Little Cottonwood Zinc
Project FY-09
$24,807 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Local Watershed Coordinator
Support FY-09
$517,691 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Matt Warner/Pot Creek Road
Rehabilitation FY-10
$63,600
Project Complete Final Report
Approved
USU NPS I & E Outreach FY-
10
$37,000
Final Report Submitted
Awaiting Approval
Lower Bear R TMDL Impl.
FY-10
$44,000
Ongoing
Middle Bear R TMDL Impl
FY-10
$136,000
Ongoing
Upper Bear R TMDL Impl
FY-10
$70,000
Ongoing
West Colorado River
Watershed Improvement FY-
10
$45,000
Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
USU Septic System Ed.
Enhancement FY-10
$51,100
Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Utah Watershed Coordinating
Council FY-10
$30,000
Final Report Submitted
Awaiting Approval
Upper Bear Riparian
Restoration FY-10
$15,600
Ongoing
East Canyon Stream
Restoration - Phase IV FY-10
$50,000
Ongoing
Mud Ck/Scofield Riparian
Restoration FY-10
$50,000
Final Report Approved
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 53
Salt Lake County Stream
Guide FY-10
$31,100
Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Jordan River Council Capacity
- I&E FY-10
$41,600
Final Report Submitted
Awaiting Approval
TMDL Local Watershed
Coordinators FY-10
$400,000
Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Utah NPS Program -
Management Review FY-10
$66,582
Project Complete
Utah Watershed Coordinating
council FY-11
$10,000 Ongoing
USU Volunteer Monitoring
and I&E FY-11
$102,500 Ongoing
Utah Watershed Coordinating
council FY-11
$340,000 Ongoing
East Canyon Restoration FY-
11
$380,421 Ongoing
TMDL Local Watershed
Coordinators FY-11
$340,000 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Utah Watershed Coordinating
council FY-12
$10,000 Ongoing
USU Volunteer Monitoring
and I&E FY-12
$102,500 Ongoing
East Canyon Restoration FY-
12
$283,070 Ongoing
Upper Weber TMDL
Implementation FY-12
$95,230 Ongoing
TMDL Local Watershed
Coordinators FY-12
$340,000 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
USU Volunteer Monitoring
and I&E FY-13
$97,000 Ongoing
Strawberry River Restoration
FY-13
$275,140 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Duchesne River Restoration
FY-13
$149,481 Ongoing
TMDL Local Watershed
Coordinators FY-13
$340,000 Ongoing
USU Volunteer Monitoring
Program FY-14
$84,525 Ongoing
Local Watershed Coordinators
FY-14
$340,000 Ongoing
Wallsburg Watershed
Restoration Project FY-14
$150,000 Project Complete Awaiting
Final Report
Jordan River Restoration
Project FY-14
$319,096 Ongoing
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 54
TABLE D- APPROVED TMDLS
Water Body Date Approved
Chalk Creek 12/23/1997
Otter Creek 12/23/1997
Little Bear River 5/23/2000
Mantua Reservoir 5/23/2000
East Canyon Creek 9/1/2000
East Canyon Reservoir 9/14/2010
Kents Lake 9/1/2000
LaBaron Reservoir 9/1/2000
Minersville Reservoir 9/1/2000
Puffer Lake 9/1/2000
Scofield Reservoir 9/1/2000
Onion Creek (near Moab) 7/25/2002
Cottonwood Wash 9/9/2002
Deer Creek Reservoir 9/9/2002
Hyrum Reservoir 9/9/2002
Little Cottonwood Creek 9/9/2002
Lower Bear River 9/9/2002
Malad River 9/9/2002
Mill Creek (near Moab) 9/9/2002
Spring Creek 9/9/2002
Forsyth Reservoir 9/27/2002
Johnson Valley Reservoir 9/27/2002
Lower Fremont River 9/27/2002
Mill Meadow Reservoir 9/27/2002
UM Creek 9/27/2002
Upper Fremont River 9/27/2012
Deep Creek 10/9/2002
Uinta River 10/9/2002
Pineview Reservoir 12/9/2002
Browne Lake 2/19/2003
San Pitch River 11/18/2003
Newton Creek 6/24/2004
Panguitch Lake 6/24/2004
West Colorado 8/4/2004
Silver Creek 8/4/2004
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 55
Upper Sevier River 8/4/2004
Lower and Middle Sevier River 9/17/2004
Lower Colorado River 9/20/2004
Upper Bear River 8/4/2006
Echo Creek 8/4/2006
Soldier Creek 8/4/2006
East Fork Sevier River 8/4/2006
Koosharem Reservoir 8/4/2006
Lower Box Creek Reservoir 8/4/2006
Otter Creek Reservoir 8/4/2006
Thistle Creek 7/9/2007
Strawberry Reservoir 7/9/2007
Matt Warner Reservoir 7/9/2007
Calder Reservoir 7/9/2007
Lower Duchesne River 7/9/2007
Lake Fork River 7/9/2007
Brough Reservoir 8/22/2008
Steinaker Reservoir 8/22/2008
Red Fleet Reservoir 8/22/2008
Newcastle Reservoir 8/22/2008
Cutler Reservoir 2/23/2010
Middle Bear River 2/23/2010
Pariette Draw 9/28/2010
Emigration Creek 7/18/2012
Jordan River Phase I 6/05/2013
Echo Reservoir 9/16/2014
Colorado River 6/17/2014
Rockport Reservoir 9/16/2014
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 56
TABLE E- WATERSHED PLANS
Watershed Date Approved
Middle and Lower
Sevier October-10
San Pitch January-06
Upper Sevier June-04
Virgin River February-06
Paria River 2006
Escalante River 2006
Wallsburg CRMP 10/01/2012
Duchesne River 7/31/2014
Strawberry River
Watershed 12/18/2014
Spanish Valley
Watershed Plan
Submitted to DWQ
for Approval
North Fork of The
Virgin River
Submitted to DWQ
for Approval
San Pitch Watershed
Plan (revision) Initiated
Weber River Initiated
Price River Initiated
South Fork of Chalk
Creek Initiated
Spanish Fork River Initiated
Pinto Creek Initiated
Upper Sevier River
(revision) Initiated
TABLE F- STATE NPS FUNDS ALLOCATED IN 2014
Project Title Watershed Project Type
Amount
Awarded
Rain Water Harvesting Exhibit Jordan River I&E $25,000
NPS Project Monitoring Equipment Statewide Monitoring $80,000
Mercury Take Back Statewide I&E $6,000
Kristen Klien Grazing Bear River Grazing/Fencing $25,000
Newcastle Mercury Beaver Mercury $5,000
North Fork Irrigation Project Cedar Beaver Irrigation $131,000
Watershed Coordinators Statewide Technical Assistance $30,000
Onsite Waste Water Operator Certification Statewide I&E $41,142
Wallsburg Septic Study Jordan River Study $15,000
La Sal Mountain Spring Development South East Colorado Stream Protection $11,500
Mark Hampton Stream Bank San Pitch Stream Bank $45,000
Cart Creek Watershed Uinta Basin
Road
Decommissioning $87,000
Parriette Draw Study Uinta Basin Study $60,000
Parriette Draw Assessment Uinta Basin Study $90,000
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 57
Dale Prince Stream Bank Upper Sevier Stream Bank $66,000
Clair Richins stream bank Weber River Stream Bank $35,000
Helper River Pilot Project West Colorado Stream Bank $35,000
Smith's Dairy AFO Project Bear River AFO $50,000
Bingham Creek Jordan River Stream Bank $50,000
John Adkins Stream Bank Weber River Stream Bank $5,000
Big Bend Habitat Restoration Jordan River Habitat $75,000
Stoner Ranch Conservation Easement Weber Easement $5,000
Nutrient Management Website Statewide I&E $10,000
Friends of Strawberry Valley I&E Uinta Basin I&E $3,000
Onsite Reserves Statewide Septic $14,358
Total $1,000,000
TABLE G- ADDITIONAL FUNDING CURRENTLY ALLOCATED IN CONJUNCTION
WITH SECTION 319 FUNDING IN FY-14.
Funding Source Amount
Utah State NPS Funding $726,775
Watershed Restoration Initiative $123,000
Bureau of Reclamation $2,167,000
Environmental Quality Incentive Program
(EQIP) $1,227,050
County Funds $327,271
Total $4,571,096
TABLE H- SUMMARY CONSERVATION PRACTICES- NRCS FISCAL YEAR 2014
Utah FY2014 Summary – Conservation Practices Planned
(acres)
Applied
(acres)
Planned
Count
Applied
Count
Above Ground, Multi-Outlet Pipeline (431) (ft) 1,025 1
Access Control (472) (ac) 5 1
Access Road (560) (ft) 2,717 1
Agricultural Energy Management Plan, Landscape - Written
(124) (no) 32 2 32 2
Agricultural Energy Management Plan, Headquarters - Written
(122) (no) 7 3 7 3
Agricultural Secondary Containment Facility (710) (no) 1 1
Apply enhanced efficiency fertilizer products (WQL24) (ac) 1,784 156
Brush Management (314) (ac) 16,534 14,423 160 117
Channel Bed Stabilization (584) (ft) 3,518 313 30 6
Clearing and Snagging (326) (ft) 307 3
Composting Facility (317) (no) 1 1
Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan - Written (102) (no) 1 1
Conservation Cover (327) (ac) 1,791 5,115 52 48
Conservation Crop Rotation (328) (ac) 1,724 5,664 106 53
Conservation Plan Supporting Organic Transition - Written 32 32
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 58
(138) (no)
Cover Crop (340) (ac) 4,748 250 177 14
Critical Area Planting (342) (ac) 11 5 5 2
Diversion (362) (ft) 3,706 367 25 1
Dust Control on Unpaved Roads and Surfaces (373) (sq ft) 359,160 10
Fence (382) (ft) 550,350 204,855 157 79
Filter Strip (393) (ac) 1 3 1 4
Firebreak (394) (ft) 41,726 6
Forage and Biomass Planting (512) (ac) 980 496 32 30
Forage Harvest Management (511) (ac) 1,449 1,249 52 35
Forest Management Plan - Written (106) (no) 7 4 7 4
Forest Stand Improvement (666) (ac) 109 121 3 7
Grazing management to improve wildlife habitat (ANM09) (ac) 1,246 33
Harvest hay in a manner that allows wildlife to flush and escape
(ANM10) (ac) 2,291 203
Heavy Use Area Protection (561) (ac) 3 0 3 1
Hedgerow Planting (422) (ft) 2,419 1
Herbaceous Weed Control (315) (ac) 4,065 4,361 92 73
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) (595) (ac) 9,903 12,249 429 368
Irrigation Ditch Lining (428) (ft) 40,042 21,113 31 15
Irrigation Field Ditch (388) (ft)
Irrigation Land Leveling (464) (ac) 671 163 48 9
Irrigation Pipeline (430) (ft) 432,746 333,467 464 343
Irrigation Reservoir (436) (ac-ft) 101 9 16 4
Irrigation System, Microirrigation (441) (ac) 85 84 27 21
Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface (443) (ac) 83 336 8 9
Irrigation Water Conveyance (430) (ft) 282 2
Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline, High-Pressure,
Underground, Plastic (430DD) (ft) 12,657 16
Irrigation Water Management (449) (ac) 8,136 17,669 501 829
Irrigation Water Management Plan - Written (118) (no) 19 1 19 1
Land Clearing (460) (ac) 31 3
Livestock Pipeline (516) (ft) 529,508 193,856 100 68
Monitor key grazing areas to improve grazing management
(PLT02) (ac) 7,021 3
Mulching (484) (ac) 493 102 31 4
Nutrient Management (590) (ac) 6,404 6,306 355 293
Obstruction Removal (500) (ac) 625 4 14 4
Open Channel (582) (ft) 4,383 4
Plant Tissue Testsing and Analysis to Improve Nitrogen
Management (WQL04) (ac) 1,830 164
Pollinator Habitat Plan - Applied (147) (no)
Pollinator Habitat Plan - Written (146) (no)
Pond (378) (no) 3 25 3 7
Pond Sealing and Lining, Soil Cement (740) (no)
Pond Sealing or Lining, Bentonite Sealant (521C) (no) 6 2 6 2
Pond Sealing or Lining, Compacted Clay Treatment (521D) (no) 4 2 4 2
Pond Sealing or Lining, Flexible Membrane (521A) (no) 3 4 3 4
Prescribed Burning (338) (ac) 1,300 9 1 2
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 59
Prescribed Grazing (528) (ac) 95,824 140,035 266 389
Pumping Plant (533) (no) 132 53 114 54
Range Planting (550) (ac) 16,478 10,919 162 90
Recycle 100% of farm lubricants (ENR04) (no) 23 23
Renewable Energy System (716) (no) 1 1
Residue and Tillage Management, No-Till (329) (ac) 4,952 7,896 180 115
Residue and Tillage Management, Reduced Till (345) (ac) 46 1,964 4 52
Restoration and Management of Rare and Declining Habitats
(643) (ac) 3 1
Retrofit watering facility for wildlife escape (ANM18) (no) 5 5
Riparian Forest Buffer (391) (ac) 4 1 9 1
Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390) (ac) 11 2 5 1
Rotation of supplement and feeding areas (WQL03) (ac) 56,722 7,021 79 3
Seasonal High Tunnel System for Crops (798) (sq ft) 88,426 25,669 51 20
Split applications of nitrogen based on a PSNT (WQL25) (ac) 1,784 156
Split nitrogen applications 50% after crop/pasture
emergence/green up (WQL07) (ac) 134 24
Spring Development (574) (no) 12 5 12 5
Sprinkler System (442) (ac) 10,002 5,356 424 271
Stream Crossing (578) (no) 8 8
Stream Habitat Improvement and Management (395) (ac) 7 13 5 2
Streambank and Shoreline Protection (580) (ft) 21,588 7,192 78 12
Structure for Water Control (587) (no) 241 220 223 179
Terrace (600) (ft) 28,751 46,354 13 6
Tree/Shrub Establishment (612) (ac) 8 55 7 14
Tree/Shrub Pruning (660) (ac) 2 1
Upland Wildlife Habitat Management (645) (ac) 80,847 133,824 91 94
Variable Frequency Drive Electric Motors (ENR09) (no) 1 1
Waste Facility Closure (360) (no) 2 2
Waste Separation Facility (632) (no) 3 2 3 2
Waste Storage Facility (313) (no) 5 4 5 4
Waste Transfer (634) (no) 2 2
Waste Treatment (629) (no) 1 1
Water and Sediment Control Basin (638) (no) 5 5
Water Harvesting Catchment (636) (no) 1 1
Water Well (642) (no) 14 5 14 5
Watering Facility (614) (no) 207 6,624 162 105
Windbreak/Shelterbelt Establishment (380) (ft) 11,761 1,973 14 3
Woody Residue Treatment (384) (ac) 7,693 34 36 5
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 60
TABLE I- MILESTONES OF THE UTAH STATEWIDE NPS PROGRAM
Milestone 2013 2014
Objective 1: Environmental Protection:
Number of TMDLs Completed 2 2
Number of TMDLs Initiated Huntington Creek- Selenium
Pelican Lake-pH
Nine Mile Creek- Temperature
Huntington Creek-selenium
Parley’s Creek- E.coli
Lower Bear River- TP
Red Creek Reservoir-TP
Number of 9 Element Watershed Based Plans
Developed
Strawberry River
Duchesne River
Spanish Valley
North Fork of Virgin
Number of 9 Element Watershed Based Plans
Initiated
Price River
North Fork of the Virgin River
Otter Creek
Upper Sevier
San Pitch
Middle Green/Desolation Canyon
Weber River Watershed Plan
Upper Weber Watershed Plan
Price River
Upper Sevier
San Pitch
Middle Green/Desolation
Canyon
Weber River
North Fork of Chalk Creek
Spanish Fork River
Pinto Creek
Number of projects dedicated to the
protection of threatened waterbodies
identified in Utah’s 303(d) list
0 (1) The Cart Creek
Watershed project
funded using State
NPS funding.
Number of projects focused on groundwater
protection thorughout the state
One Septic I&E Program,
One Groundwater outreach
program.$78,041 total in State NPS
Funding
One Septic I&E Program,
One Groundwater outreach
program $41,142. Bothwell
ground water has continued to
be implemented. $14,358 for
septic enhancements.
Objective 2: Improve Program Efficiency and Effectiveness through Reporting and Evaluation.
Total Number of Stream Miles Restored 0.77 miles of in-stream restoration
implemented
5.35 miles of protective riparian
fencing implemented
.71 miles of in-stream
restoration
2.01 miles of riparian fencing
Total Estimated Load Reductions Reduced in
Project Areas (includes reductions from annual
and final reports)
Nitrogen- 10,161 lbs/year
Phosphorus- 3,878 lbs/year
Sediment- 2,500 tons/year
Phosphorus- 8,899 lbs/year
Sediment- 8,942 tons/year
E.coli- 3,100 lbs/year
Nitrogen-20,385 lbs/year
Number of Final Project Reports Submitted 10 (See Table B) 9 (See Table B)
Number of 319 Grants Open During the Fiscal
Year
6 (See Table5) 6 (See Table5)
Amount of Unexpended Funds in Each Open 319
Grant (As of June 30, 2014)
FY-08- $90,405
FY-09- $252,811
FY-10- $188,479
FY-11- $341,358
FY-12- $667,452
FY-13- $861,621
(See Table1)
FY-09- $206,697
FY-10- $148,287
FY-11- $76,155
FY-12- $295,598
FY-13- $724,575
FY-14- $893,621
Number of Success Stories Showing the
envionmental Benefits of Completed NPS
2- Cub River and East Canyon
Creek
1- Fremont River
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 61
Projects Submitted to EPA for Approval
Objective 3: Improve Public Participation and Understanding of NPS Issues
Number of Participants Invovled in the
Statewided Volunteer Monitoring Program
196
448
Number of I&E Projects Implemented with
Section 319 and State NPS Funding
3 projects
-AFO Outreach (NPS)
-Septic I&E Outreach (NPS)
-Volunteer monitoirng program
(319)
6 projects
-AFO Outreach (NPS)
-Septic I&E Outreach (NPS)
-Volunteer monitoirng
program (319)
-Mercury Take Back (NPS)
-Strawberry Valley I&E (NPS)
-Rain Water Exhibit (NPS)
Updates Made to the State NPS Program Website The website was updated to
include additional information for
grant applicants including Final
reporting guidance, and grant
applications. In 2014 USU
Waterquality extension will begin
development of a much improved
website.
We have begun working with
USU Extension to create a
website focused solely on NPS
pollution. This will include an
interactive map showing
where projects have taken
place in the state as well as
movies highlighting the NPS
projects that have been
implemented thorughout the
state.
Objective 4: Improve Data Collection and Management
Track Updates Made to Enhance NPS
Monitoroing in the Division of Water Quality’s
Annual Monitoirng Strategy
Additional monitoring equipment
was purchased for the Local
Watershed Coordinators to assist
with NPS project monitoring.
Trainings were also offered on the
development of SAPs.
The equipment that was
purchased in 2013 has been
distributed to the local
watershed coordinators, and a
training was conducted during
the sumer of 2014 showing the
local watershed coordinators
how to use this equipment.
Number of SAPs Developed 8 1- Many of the SAPs
needed throughout the
basins were developed
last year. It is
anticipated that several
more will be
developed next year.
Track Status and updates of AWQMS database See Section 4.4 of this report See Section 4.4 of this report
Report on Water Quality Data Uploaded to the
EPA WQX Database
See Section 4.4 of this report See Section 4.4 of this report
Objective 5: Improve Coordination of Governmental and Private Sectors
Hold Annual NPS Management Program
Coordination Meetings
Held February 26, 2013 Held February 26th, 2014
Conduct Annual Consistency Reviews with State
and Federal Agencies
Conducted August 13th and 14th,
2013.
Conducted October 7th and 8th,
2014
Number of Water Quality Task Force Meetings
Held During the Fiscal Year
Three meetings were held. October
10th 2012, February 14th, 2013, and
May 22nd 2013
Three meetings were held.
August 7th, 2013, November
19th, 2013, and May 19th, 2014.
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 62
Amount of Funding Used to Leverage 319
Funding Throughout the State
$1,970,887 (See Table G) $4,571,096 (See Table G)
TABLE J- FY-14 BLM WRI PROJECTS
2014 UT WRI Funded/Implemented projects
ID Title Spent
Acres
Treated
BLM
Acres %BLM
2869 Total
Big Hollow Discretionary Seed
Project $ 5,244 76 1 1
2260 Total
San Rafael River Restortion
Phase III $ 115,967 1110 25 2
2562 Total
Marshall Draw / Warren Draw
Lop and Scatter $ 24,081 946 139 15
2218 Total Moon Ridge Chaining $ 208,531 541 129 24
2593 Total
South Book Cliffs Vegetation
Improvement Phase 1 $ 177,183 343 95 28
2628 Total Steer Ridge Lop and Scatter $ 22,629 566 193 34
2234 Total
Little Mountain Lop and Scatter
Phase I $ 12,451 472 201 43
2635 Total Jack Trap Canyon $ 68,970 334 192 57
2626 Total Moonshine Bullhog Phase III $ 85,750 426 305 72
2203 Total Pine Springs bullhog phase II $ 190,227 495 361 73
2574 Total
West Grouse Creek Bullhog
Phase 2 $ 302,060 1079 851 79
2640 Total
Indian Springs Bullhog
Maintenance $ 16,643 610 525 86
2696 Total
Upper Kanab Creek Phase II
Bullhog - Bald Knoll $ 510,814 1425 1227 86
2666 Total
Escalante River Watershed
Restoration Phase 6 $ 216,973 182 168 92
2227 Total
South Beaver Vegetation
Enhancement Year 7 $ 385,201 1367 1300 95
2577 Total
FY14 San Pitch Mountains Fuels
Reduction and Habitat
Restoration $ 59,779 853 830 97
2547 Total Parker Front PJ removal $ 313,671 899 896 100
2268 Total
Bake Oven Sagebrush
Restoration $ 23,786 129 129 100
2614 Total
Eureka/East Tintic Squarrose
Knapweed Treatment $ 24,257 654 653 100
2575 Total
Stockton Sagebrush
Enhancement $ 54,068 496 495 100
2571 Total Stockton Bullhog Phase 3 $ 227,635 803 802 100
2866 Total
Grimes Wash BLM Stewardship
P/J Removal $ 5,203 181 181 100
Utah Nonpoint Source Annual Report FY-2014
Page 63
2177 Total
Dark Canyon Phase I (formerly
Beef Basin Phase 1) $ 167,346 236 236 100
2554 Total
Black Ridge Fuels Reduction and
Vegetative Restoration - Phase
III $ 120,019 637 637 100
2616 Total
Horse Canyon Fuel Reduction
and Habitat Restoration- Phase II $ 440,192 1088 1088 100
2589 Total Park Ridge bullhog maintenance $ 11,684 474 474 100
2534 Total
Onaqui East Bench Bullhog
Phase 2 $ 327,769 1221 1221 100
2527 Total East Tintic Bullhog Phase 2 $ 253,702 996 996 100
2465 Total Anthro Mountain P-J Treatment $ 92,006 403 403 100
2291 Total
Little Valley Fuels Reduction and
Habitat Improvement FY14 $ 11,000 137 137 100
2540 Total
Dugout Creek Fuels Reduction
and Habitat Restoration: Phase
III $ 201,160 507 507 100
Fire Rehabilitation (Fires: Rocky
Complex, Rush Lake, Black
Mountain, Gap) $ 1,417,007 6222 5249
$ 6,093,007 20,646