2005 Targeted Watersheds Grants: Upper Sevier River Utah WHY IS THIS WATERSHED SPECIAL? Located in south-central Utah this undeveloped, scenic 1.3 million acre watershed is predominantly public lands. About 85 percent of the land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service. Areas of private land are predominantly rural and utilized for hay production and grazing. Portions of the Upper Sevier River are designated as Blue Ribbon Fisheries by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, indicating the importance of and the potential for improvement in this trout fishery. ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES The Targeted Watersheds Grant will focus on the following environmental problems: • Intensive grazing and irrigation runoff contribute to habitat impairment and provide excess sediment and phosphorus to the river. • Lack of riparian vegetation and stream shading cause high stream temperatures and limit the coldwater fishery. East Fork of the Upper Sevier River. RESTORATION ACTIVITIES The Utah Department of Environmental Quality will use the Targeted Watersheds Grant funds to address the major causes of impairment identified in the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). A TMDL is a watershed management plan identifying the maximum amount of pollutants that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards. • Undertaking stream restoration activities in river reaches likely to provide benefits to the fishery. • Stabilizing severely eroding stream banks and reestablishing riparian vegetation to reduce sediment and phosphorus loads. • Conducting irrigation efficiency studies, soil moisture monitoring and generation of real-time evapotranspiration data to increase water use efficiency and reduce runoff on agricultural land. Riparian restoration site along the Upper Sevier River. EPA840-F-07-001I www.epa.gov/twg ------- A STRONG PARTNERSHIP FOR CHANGE To meet the goals of the TMDL, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality has coordinated with several local and state partners including: • Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project • Utah Division of Wildlife Resources • Natural Resources Conservation Service • Upper Sevier Soil Conservation District • Utah State University • Local land owners EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grants EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grants program is a competitive grant program designed to encourage collaborative, community-driven approaches to meet clean water goals. For More Information Contact: James Harris Utah Department of Environmental Quality iamesharris@utah.gov (801) 538-6825 www.waterquality.utah.gov Funding: $603,925 Along the East Fork of the Upper Sevier River. 2005 Targeted Watersheds Grants - Upper Sevier River ------- |