SALT LAKE CITY - Following years of work, the Provo River Delta Restoration Project is now complete and as of Saturday, Oct. 26, the newly restored Delta area and its associated amenities are officially open to the public. The project was supported by a $10 million investment through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda.
The nearly 260-acre project, located a half-mile north of Utah Lake State Park, restored the delta between the Lower Provo River and Utah Lake to aid in the recovery of the threatened June sucker, a fish found nowhere else in the world. On Jan. 4, 2021, the June sucker was downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, largely due to ongoing efforts - like the Provo River Delta Restoration Project - by various partnering agencies to help the species recover. The restored delta provides habitat for adult June suckers to spawn and for young June suckers to find safety from predators.
"With transformational resources provided through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is collaborating with states, Tribes and partners across the West to accelerate the completion of projects like the Provo River Delta Restoration Project," said Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Annalise Blum, "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the restored delta area officially opening today will help to safeguard the threatened June sucker, expand recreational opportunities for community residents and accelerate efforts to expand access to clean and reliable water throughout the region."
Deputy Assistant Secretary Blum attended a ceremonial ribbon cutting today with partnering agencies gathering to celebrate the monumental project and release a few hatchery-raised June suckers into the new delta.
"The Provo River Delta Restoration Project provided the unique opportunity for us to partner with several entities on a project to not only benefit recovery of a threatened species, but also provide diverse recreational opportunities for surrounding communities well into the future," Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission Executive Director Michael Mills said. "The new delta provides habitat previously missing from the interface of the river and Utah Lake, which will benefit all those that use the area and will contribute to the survival of millions of June sucker spawned in the Provo River each year."
In addition to helping with June sucker recovery, the project also offers an improved ecosystem and more recreational opportunities in the revitalized Provo River delta, including trails, trailhead parking areas, restrooms, nonmotorized boat launches, fishing platforms, interpretive features, a wildlife-viewing observation tower and a park (currently under construction).
"We are hopeful that with this area opening to fishing that anglers can help reduce the number of predators that are impacting June suckers," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Recovery Program Director Sarah Seegert said. "In addition to the wetland vegetation in the delta providing young June suckers a place to hide from predators, we are also excited about the new fishing opportunities that this area will provide."
"The June sucker program partners have played a vital role in the success of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program," Central Water Conservancy District General Manager Gene Shawcroft said. "Through our partners, the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program has been successful at acquiring water to supplement flows in the Provo River to keep the river from going dry during hot summer months when irrigation demands are at their peak. Water has been obtained through direct purchase, water conservation and environmental commitments associated with new water development projects. This water is critical to ensure the necessary conditions to support June sucker spawning and recruitment, as well as benefiting many species that rely on the Provo River and the tributary it supports."
History of June sucker
While it's hard to pinpoint an exact cause for the decline of the June sucker, water-flow alterations and drought, habitat changes, and competition with and being preyed on by exotic fish species were all contributing factors. At one point, the June sucker population dropped to fewer than 1,000 fish with fewer than 300 spawning individuals, and they were placed on the endangered species list in 1986.
However, in 2002, several local and federal agencies and outdoor and environmental interest groups partnered to work to restore June sucker populations, eventually creating the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program. Currently, there are an estimated total of 30,000 to 45,000 fish in the spawning population in Utah Lake. This year, 3,785 tagged June suckers were detected spawning in the new delta area.
Along with Increasing streamflows in the tributaries to Utah Lake, the partnership also worked to establish a June sucker hatchery and culture program at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Fish Hatchery in Logan. A special water-recirculation facility is used there to quickly grow the fish in warmer water. Then, once they are big enough, the fish are restocked into Utah Lake to help the population grow.
