BEYOND THE POND

Success Stories

Weber River Restoration Project

Desert Fish Habitat Partnership / Western Native Trout Initiative

Utah

Project Partners:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Western Native Trout Initiative, Trout Unlimited, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of Transportation

To offset development’s widespread impacts, this restoration project is focused on conserving native fishes while also seeking to improve water use efficiency for water companies in the Weber River drainage.  Because of the dual-scope of this project, effective partnerships had to be created in order to move the effort forward.  Thanks to a unique partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program and the funding from National Fish Passage Program and two of NFHP’s Regional FHPs including the Western Native Trout Initiative and the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Trout Unlimited and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Department of Transportation, this restoration effort has been very successful. 

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and the Bluehead Suckers are the two iconic desert fish that define this project with habitat fragmentation as the primary threat.  Barriers have affected both the main stem river and tributary spawning habitats.  Restoring river connectivity is critical for improving the resiliency of these native fish populations, and by removing large migratory barriers, both connectivity and fish populations are expected to improve considerably.   However, while much progress has been made, a lot more has yet to be done.  This is where you come into play.  As conservationists, supporting these types of multi-purpose projects is essential.  By donating to Beyond the Pond, you can ensure that your values can be realized through the work of this innovative habitat restoration program.