DWR to receive up to $37.2 million in federal grants

DWR has been awarded up to $37.2 million in federal grants to support fish and wildlife habitat improvement projects in southeastern Utah Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has been awarded up to $37.2 million in federal grants to support fish and wildlife habitat improvement projects in southeastern Utah. The funding comes from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Program, part of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The grants, announced Friday, will fund five DWR-led projects to improve water quality, restore habitats, and support native species.

“We are so excited that these important projects were selected for funding through this program,” said Daniel Eddington, DWR’s habitat conservation coordinator. “Investing in the continued maintenance and improvement of habitat is crucial for the health of Utah’s fish and wildlife species, so we are grateful to our many partners, including Trout Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy, who partnered with us on these grant applications and will assist with the upcoming projects.”

Funded Projects

The five DWR projects selected for funding include:

• Scofield tributaries drought resiliency and restoration project: This project will help reduce erosion and sediment from entering Scofield Reservoir, which will improve fish and wildlife habitats along with improving downstream water quality. The project was awarded up to approximately $2.8 million.
• Huntington Creek drought resiliency and restoration project: This project aims to improve aquatic habitat and water quality in the Huntington Creek drainage area by installing low-tech restoration structures, which will help native species in the area, including the Colorado River cutthroat trout. The project was awarded up to approximately $2.6 million.
• Willow Creek subbasin restoration project: This project will enhance the stream and its habitats by removing invasive plant species, which will benefit native fish species and will improve water quality. The project will receive up to approximately $2.3 million.
• Voluntary water leasing on the Price River: This project will help fund voluntary water lease agreements with water users in the Price River Basin over a three-year period in order to support instream flows to benefit overall watershed health, rural economies and native fish species in this area. The project was awarded up to approximately $1.4 million.
• Lower Price River environmental drought mitigation project: This project will include the construction of a dam to create a new reservoir and will also replace irrigation diversions in order to enable strategic water releases to benefit threatened and endangered fish species in the area. The project was awarded up to approximately $28.1 million.

Additional Collaborative Projects

While not directly awarded to the DWR, several additional projects selected for funding will include collaboration with the agency:

• Matheson Wetland enhancement drought mitigation project: This project will receive up to approximately $21 million to fund a tertiary wastewater treatment facility, restore wetlands, improve water supply and quality, and enhance wildlife habitats, benefiting endangered fish and migratory birds in the area.
• Moab wetlands revitalization: This $6.5 million project will fund the installation of a river diversion and pump station to provide water to the Scott and Norma Matheson Wetlands Preserve, benefiting native fish, amphibians, and birds.
• Price River restoration project: This $4.8 million initiative will restore high-elevation wetlands and streams, as well as improve water quality and flow to benefit native species such as the Colorado River cutthroat trout and greater sage-grouse.

Partners and Collaboration

“All across the Colorado River Basin, federal investments are providing billions of dollars of critical funding to communities and states to help Western states better manage long-term drought and natural disasters (like wildfires) and to build resilience to hotter and drier conditions,” said Sara Porterfield, Colorado River Program Director and Western Water Policy Advisor for Trout Unlimited. “This most recent round of funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Upper Basin Environmental Drought Mitigation Program reflects the desires and needs of communities, states and individuals across the political spectrum to build upon the success of these programs as a nonpartisan issue.”

Sue Bellagamba, Canyonlands regional director at The Nature Conservancy, highlighted the importance of collaboration: “The Colorado River is critical to the well-being of Utah. However, years of drought have pushed the river to its brink, and now more than ever, we need to work collaboratively on solutions that can truly make a difference. By partnering with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation, we now have the chance to exponentially increase our impact for the benefit of Utah’s wildlife and our rural communities.”

These projects represent significant strides in preserving Utah’s natural resources while addressing the impacts of drought and supporting rural communities.