Utah
DWR asks anglers to harvest specific fish species at several Utah waterbodies – TownLift, Park City News
Lake trout at Flaming Gorge. Photo: Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
UTAH — The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is requesting that anglers harvest specific fish species that are currently negatively impacting the fishery at certain Utah waterbodies.
According to a press release from the DWR, when certain fish species become overly abundant in a waterbody, they can deplete the overall food supply for all fish and negatively affect other species, especially if they are piscivorous and prey on other fish. This can result in slower growth and smaller sizes among the fish in the waterbody.
“Historically, anglers used to harvest more fish, which would help keep fish numbers lower and ensure that the food supply for the fish at any given waterbody was shared with a smaller number of individual fish,” said Trina Hedrick, DWR sportfish coordinator. “But now more anglers prefer to participate in catch-and-release fishing, which leaves more fish in the system and increases competition for limited resources. Each lake or reservoir has a maximum number of fish it can sustain. When the waterbody exceeds that, you’ll eventually see an overabundance of skinny, smaller fish.”
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The DWR is asking anglers to harvest specific fish species caught in the following waterbodies:
Small lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir
The DWR is requesting that anglers catch and keep lake trout measuring under 25 inches at Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The reservoir is known for producing some of the largest lake trout in the U.S., however, its population of small lake trout is currently too high.
The overpopulation of small lake trout could impact the reservoir’s rainbow trout and salmon populations, and leave fewer fish to feed the larger lake trout.
“We are requesting that all anglers harvest a limit if they can because lake trout are delicious and great to eat, and the angler would also be helping out the fishery at the same time,” Hedrick said.
To catch the small lake trout, the anglers should target them in deep areas (50-100 feet) along main channel points and walls, according to the DWR.
Walleye at Starvation Reservoir
This time of year is ideal for walleye fishing at Starvation Reservoir, located in Duchesne County. Flicker shad and bottom bouncers work well for catching walleye, which are found at depths of 15-20 feet.
Bluegill at Pelican Lake
Bluegill can be found along open shorelines or in front of weed lines at Pelican Lake. This fish tends to move to deeper water from the morning to afternoon. The DWR suggests worms or small-sized jigs with plastic baits for catching bluegill.
Brown trout at Blacksmith Fork River
The brown trout residing in Blacksmith Fork River currently measure at around 11 inches on average, but their growth is expected to slow as the fish become more abundant, and their food sources become fewer.
“We really need people to harvest more brown trout here, but few anglers actually do so, despite the four fish bonus limit,” Hedrick said.
Spinners are a great way to catch a lot of fish at Blacksmith Fork River, and fly fishing can also work well here. According to the DWR, pheasant tail, hare’s ear, hoppers and terrestrial fly patterns typically work well.
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Utah
‘2.5 minutes of terror’: Passengers sue Delta, alleging crew flew into dangerous weather despite warnings, injuring dozens
Twenty passengers allege the airline ignored repeated weather warnings before the flight hit severe turbulence that sent dozens of people to hospitals
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Delta airplane travels down the runway at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City last March. Passengers on a Delta flight last July are suing the airline over injuries suffered because of violent turbulence.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Utah and Salt Lake County a total of $3.5 million in grants to assess potentially polluted properties for eventual cleanup and redevelopment.
The agency announced a $2 million grant to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality and $1.5 million to Salt Lake County to conduct environmental assessments and inventory brownfield sites for cleanup. Brownfields are sites that may be difficult to redevelop or expand because of “the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” according to the agency.
“These brownfields grants will help Utah communities clean up contaminated sites and unlock opportunities for redevelopment and investment,” EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western said in a news release announcing the grants earlier this week. “By transforming underused properties into community assets, EPA is helping create healthier neighborhoods and stronger local economies.”
The two grants awarded to Utah and Salt Lake County are among more than $248 million awarded to nearly 200 communities nationwide for brownfield assessment and cleanup. Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality plans to focus the resources on several areas in Ogden, Heber City and Fillmore, among others, according to Bill Rees, who leads Utah’s brownfield cleanup program.
“What we do is work to secure the funding and then begin to reach out to our communities across the state, say, ‘Listen, there’s opportunity to do some assessment work in your community if you’re interested,’ and then work with our rural partners, work with our urban partners to see if there are sites that will fit that bill,” he told KSL.
The state has received similar grants in the past, and Rees said the money can help local governments determine what to do with ailing properties such as old schools, hospitals or private property that have gone to waste.
“Is there asbestos in it, or is there hazardous material in it? Or could there be something that’s impacting the soil or the groundwater, and a policymaker needs to make a decision?” asked Rees. “Knowledge allows you to make good decisions.”
The $1.5 million awarded to Salt Lake County is the largest brownfields assessment grant the county has ever received, according to a county press release.
“This grant is a real win for our communities,” said Mayor Jenny Wilson. “This funding will let us do vital environmental work on a larger scale and in more neighborhoods. It reflects exactly the kind of partnership between local and federal government that gets results for residents.”
The county grant funds will be used to help create cleanup plans in three areas, including a vehicle storage yard in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark Neighborhood, a 4.26-acre vacant lot in Millcreek and a small commercial building in Magna that was damaged during an earthquake in March 2020, according to the EPA.
Contributing: Don Brinkherhoff
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued red flag warning Friday morning as emergency workers continued to battle one of the state’s largest wildfires in its history.
The red flag warning, issued when critical fire warnings are occurring or imminent, was to be in place through midnight Saturday.
“This is the FIRST Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning issued in NWS Salt Lake City history. This is an exceptionally rare event,” the federal agency said in its warning.
A map of the area under the warning covered much of central and southwest Utah, with an area of the southwest, central and southern mountains also outlined as “particularly dangerous red flag.”
The particularly dangerous area includes the Cottonwood Fire, near the town of Beaver, which started Monday and had grown to covering almost nearly 71,000 acres by Thursday, 15 News reported. The fire forced evacuations.
The NWS warned that gusty winds and dry conditions would lead to rapid fire growth.
Utah also was dealing with the Iron Fire, which started June 19, and nearly destroyed the town of Eureka. The fire was about 27% contained Friday morning.
The fire danger led Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to issue executive order restricting fireworks statewide during the July 4 holiday, which marks the nation’s 250th birthday this year. The ban is in effect through July 5.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said in a statement issued by his office Thursday.
“This is unlike anything we’ve seen in recent memory. We’re seeing fires spread farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations” Jamie Barnes, Utah state forester and director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, added in the statement.
Cox allowed cities and local communities to set aside areas where fireworks could be safely used. The city of Provo announced it would enforce a citywide prohibition on fireworks and would not designate a safe area for fireworks.
“This year is different,” Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said in a statement. “The wildfire danger facing our community is real, and protecting lives, homes, and our natural spaces must come first.”
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