Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006UT72B

Potential Impacts of Flow Augmentation on Stream Restoration Projects

Institute: Utah
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-03-01 End Date: 2007-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $40,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $80,000

Principal Investigators: Rollin Hotchkiss, Mark Belk, Russell Rader

Project Summary: The June Sucker is an endangered species of fish unique to Utah Lake in central Utah. Channelization of inflowing tributaries combined with the effects of irrigation withdrawals and urbanization have eliminated all but one tributary for spawning the Provo River. Conditions in the Provo River are not optimal, and a cataclysmic event on the Provo such as an extended drought or flood could threaten the June Sucker further. The Utah Division of Natural Resources has determined through local studies that a smaller tributary to the south, Hobble Creek, has excellent potential for June Sucker habitat. The mouth of Hobble Creek drains into an undeveloped and natural wetland expanse knows as Provo Bay. Conceptual plans have been made for the restoration of Hobble Creek. The restoration effort, however, is made more complex due to anticipated flow augmentation in Hobble Creek as a result of the planned Utah Lake System project. This research will examine the potential impacts of flow augmentation on the planned stream restoration project. Specifically, sediment transport and flow hydraulics will be simulated in order to evaluate potential June Sucker habitat in Hobble Creek under the present and augmented flow regime. It is anticipated that augmented flows will impact suspended sediment concentrations, bedload movement, flushing of fine sediments, and stream channel geometry. Results of the research will be used to guide the restoration effort such that restoration under present hydrologic conditions will still be effective with augmented flows in the future.