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East Canyon Creek Projects Improve Water Quality
Waterbodies Improved Elevated phosphorus levels in East Canyon Creek in the 1990s
led to its listing as an impaired water under Section 303(d)
of the Clean Water Act. In 2000, the Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) began working with
federal, state, and local partners to implement projects to address excess phosphorus and other
water quality impairments in East Canyon Creek. These projects reduced phosphorus and sediment
loading into the creek and improved riparian habitat. Improved stream habitat and decreased
sediment loading led to the 2020 delisting of East Canyon Creek for macroinvertebrates. These
projects coupled with new monitoring data also led to the 2020 delisting of East Canyon Reservoir
for maximum temperature and minimum dissolved oxygen impairments.
Problem
The East Canyon Creek watershed is about 20 miles
east of Salt Lake City, Utah, and drains 144 square
miles of diverse terrain on the eastern slope of the
Wasatch Mountains (Figure 1). The creek is a tributary
to the Weber River. The river provides municipal,
industrial, agricultural and recreational water to
several hundred-thousand residents. Most of the
watershed is privately owned, and growth rates have
increased exponentially since 2002.
Designated beneficial uses in this watershed include
domestic water use, primary and secondary contact
recreation, cold-water game fish and agricultural water
supply. East Canyon Creek is the principal drainage in
the watershed and feeds into East Canyon Reservoir.
In 1992, an assessment conducted on East Canyon
Creek showed elevated levels of phosphorus that
were adversely impacting the cold-water game fishery
in East Canyon Reservoir. Subsequent monitoring of
macroinvertebrates in 2008 indicated that East Canyon
Creek was also biologically impaired.
Assessments in 2014 found excess levels of total
dissolved solids (TDS) and elevated temperatures in
the creek. These impairments were likely the result of
increased development, urban runoff, overgrazing and
high rates of erosion in the watershed. A Stream Visual
Assessment Protocol (SVAP) conducted in 2002, for
example, showed that over 50% of the stream length
had poor channel or riparian conditions.
Figure 1. East Canyon Creek is in northern Utah.
Story Highlights
DWQ began actively working with the East Canyon
Creek Watershed Committee in 2000 to address
water quality impairments. The division developed
a total maximum daily load (TMDL) in 2010 for East
Canyon Creek and East Canyon Reservoir that included
detailed implementation plans for both waterbod-
ies. The TMDL identified low dissolved oxygen as a

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pollutant of concern. Low dissolved oxygen levels likely
resulted from a lack of shade and riparian vegetation
along the stream, channel widening, low flow during the
summer months, sediment loading and algal blooms.
Partners addressed these issues through a variety of
point and nonpoint source projects and approaches:
•	Best management practices (BMPs) were used to
stabilize and revegetate 2.23 miles of East Canyon
Creek and included the installation of 12,000 willow
stakes, 3,000 container plants, and 20 beaver dam
analogs in the riparian area (Figure 2). Installation of
17,941 linear feet of riparian fencing has also helped
improve grazing management.
•	The Snyderville Basin Wastewater Reclamation
District (SBWRD) upgraded its wastewater treatment
plant in 2004. This upgrade significantly reduced
phosphorus loading into the creek.
•	A flow study conducted in 2005 recommended a
minimum flow of 6 cubic feet per second (cfs) in the
creek, with an allowance for 3.5 cfs under extreme
drought conditions. These baseline flows have been
met and exceeded over the past decade and helped
improve and maintain stream health.
Results
Since restoration efforts began, phosphorus and
sediment loads in East Canyon Creek have decreased
noticeably and macroinvertebrates scores have
increased (Figure 3). These efforts also led to improved
water quality in East Canyon Reservoir. Since 2001,
CWA section 319-funded project work by the East
Canyon Creek Committee has reduced sediment loads
by an estimated 2,698 tons/year and phosphorus loads
by 3,778 pounds/year. Additional ongoing riparian
corridor projects in the watershed are funded in
part by Utah's nonpoint source funds with matches
from multiple sources. Improved stream habitat and
decreased sediment loading ied to the 2020 delisting
of East Canyon Creek for macroinvertebrates. New
monitoring data reflecting the various practices in the
watershed led to the 2020 delisting of East Canyon
Reservoir for maximum temperature and minimum
dissolved oxygen impairments.
Figure 2. East Canyon Creek before and after restoration.
East Canyon Creek OE Scores
2000-1016
-OE Standard .76
Figure 3. Average observed/expected (OE)
macroinvertebrate scores (2000-2016).
Partners and Funding
Agencies and producers spent a combined total of
more than $2.29 million on nonpoint source water
quality improvement projects in the East Canyon Creek
watershed. Funding sources included $832,091 in CWA
section 319 funds; $310,000 in state nonpoint source
funds; $279,744 in Natural Resource Conservation
Service funds; $500,000 from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act; $43,000 from Trout
Unlimited; and $327,108 in local partner and producer
contributions.
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water
Washington, DC
EPA 841-F-21-001M
September 2021
For additional information contact:
James Bowcutt
Utah Division of Water Quality
435-232-4017 • jdbowcutt@utah.gov

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