Heber Valley Watershed Plan
This website provides information and updates on the development of a Watershed Plan for the Heber Valley watershed in Wasatch County, Utah.
Project Contact
Daniel Gunnell
Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Resource Coordinator
(435) 749-0853
drgunnell@utah.gov
Project Information
The Wasatch Conservation District is initiating the development of a stakeholder driven, nonregulatory Watershed Plan for the Heber Valley Watershed in Wasatch County, Utah. The purpose of the Watershed Plan is to gather existing data about the condition of the watershed and develop a plan to address natural resource concerns including water quality issues by identifying best management practices to reduce pollution. The watershed plan will open up additional funding opportunities to support implementation of best management practices identified in the watershed plan.
The Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ) has determined that several waterbodies within the watershed plan boundary are impaired for a variety of pollutants and are not supporting designated beneficial uses (drinking water, recreation, aquatic life, agriculture). The major water quality concerns are nutrients, sediment, Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, and metals.
Project Area
The Heber Valley Watershed plan boundary, as defined by this project, is approximately 169,274 acres and is bounded by the inflows to Jordanelle Reservoir to the outlet of Deer Creek Reservoir Dam, including tributaries to both Provo River and Deer Creek Reservoir. Wasatch Conservation District finalized a coordinated management plan for Wallsburg in 2012, so Main Creek will not be included in the watershed plan boundary.
The smaller area, where specific projects watershed implementation projects will be planned initially, is approximately 8,139 acres and is in the center of the Heber Valley between Jordanelle and Deer Creek Reservoirs. The planning area for the implementation of projects will be expanded in future years.
Expected Outcomes
This effort will result in creation of partnerships, characterization of conditions and problems in the watershed, identification of goals for the watershed and solutions to water quality problems, and establishment of an implementation program to put solutions into practice.
Example implementation projects that could take place as a result of the Heber Valley Watershed Plan include restoration activities like streambank stabilization, creation of meander bends to reduce sediment loading to streams, establishment of designated livestock stream crossings, livestock fencing, development of alternative watering facilities for livestock, and stream bank protection. Restoration activities like these have been successful at addressing natural resource concerns in the Wallsburg area and were implemented as a result of a similar, consensus-based planning process that took place in 2012. Restoration activities began in Main Creek 2012 and are ongoing. The photos below depict a few restoration activities in the Main Creek watershed.
Planning Process and Stakeholder Involvement
To create the Watershed Plan, the Wasatch Conservation District and its supporting contractor, SWCA Environmental Consultants will:
Create an Advisory Committee to help guide the planning process
Characterize the watershed and identify problems
Define goals and solutions to natural resource concerns including water quality problems
Establish an implementation program to protect or restore water quality
Identify funding opportunities to help support future implementation
Interested stakeholders will have the opportunity to engage in the development of the Watershed Plan for the Heber Valley watershed. A first step in the process of addressing non-point-source pollution in the Heber Watershed will be to begin coordinating with key stakeholders at the resident, watershed, county, state, and federal levels. An advisory committee will be formed and composed of stakeholders with a desire to be directly involved in the watershed planning and implementation process. Existing stakeholders on the project include: the Heber Valley Conservation District, the Utah Division of Water Quality, the Provo River Watershed Council, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and many others.
Project Updates
Please provide your contact information if you would like to receive project updates by email.