Salt creek up date 9/28

[fishinfool]

Hey man you been up to Salt creek to look around and see what they have been doing? Seems there is nothing on the DU site or the DWR site showing what they have doing? Not like them to keep this kind of stuff under raps? are money and fedral money fixing the place up you would think they would show some before and after pics of the place?
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[Jethro]

I have not been out to salt creek this late summer. I did see the pipeline equipment earlier this year but the were staying away from the water.
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[fishinfool]

Thanks for the reply.
I posted on the other site and I called too,talked to a gentelman named Randy and he filled me in on whats going on up there and what to expect when the water starts goiing in there on thursday. His guess was three to four weeks before it would be full. huntble on the opener. Guess they cut the water off to the main pond in Dec of 2010? I could swore I was up there around that time and got down the canal but I am probably wrong.[]
He is also sending me some picture of the project as he gets them off his camera. nice guy!
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[Jethro]

I have only hunted Salt Creek a few times and I was a lot of work for little reward. So I prefer to hunt the refuge. I just can't wait until the hunt starts.
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[One_eyed_jack]

Last I heard was salt creek was not going to be ready for the opening. It wont be hunt able until mid October. Something about a delay in final work, so it must be a federal job. Should be nice when it is over though, hopefully the silt will be less of an issue. Time to go get them birds!!
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[gshorthair]

To those of you who have not been out to look over some of your favorite duck hunting areas you might be in for a surprise. Both salt creek and the main lake at Ogden bay( unit 1) have undergone some serious work this summer.
The large pond in both places have been without water and haven't grown any food for the birds. They are filling now. Both areas will improve as the season continues. There have been several press releases suggesting sportsman try other areas during the early part of the season. I know ducks unlimited helped with some of the expense at salt creek. Ogden bay had the dikes breeched to allow the flood water to get to the great salt lake.I hope this will help some of you avid waterfowlers this weekend. gshorthair
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[fishinfool]

with all the the talk about salt creek being dry and the work being done I opted out to take a two hour drive to scout it for the opener. here is the scoop I got from Randy up at salt creek.
[inline "water release to refill SCWMA.JPG"]
Sediment Project Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area 2011

This project removed 56,640 cubic yards of sediment from channels (3 ½ miles) and near shorelines that where being lost. The removed material was used to create approximately 33 islands (about 10+ acres) and 3 miles of shoreline restoration work.

This project was conceived some five years ago. A pilot project was considered and $20,000 dollars from the Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Habitat Fund account was approved for preliminary work and assessment in 2008.
The project was submitted for a North America Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant in 2009 by Ducks Unlimited for a more complete project, approximately $180,000 was appropriated. This was 1 of 7 projects funded with $1,000,000 grant received by DU.

The earth work was initiated on September 8th and completed on September 20, 2011.

A soft release of water was initiated on the 20th of September to begin filling. The full stream was released on the 22nd for a quicker fill and following the final work of seeding the islands with a wetland seed mixture to speed colonization of plants and reduce loss of soil to erosion.

A physically challenged boat accessible permanent blind and two boat pier type tie-points where established as a part of this project to provide a new opportunity for folks. We look forward to seeing the designated (a 200 feet diameter area around the new double islands within the horseshoe bay portion of Salt Creek WMA) area used by folks that qualify for the physician signed portion of the DVM handicapped placards application and those that wish to take them hunting.

This effort will facilitate better water flow patterns, the ability to drain the area more completely when necessary, solidify the bottom sediments for better food productions and more convenient hunter movement by foot.
The shoreline portion of the project should create a better buffer between uplands and wetlands and increase the width of the submerged wetland vegetation, reduce future erosion and provide shorebird and shallow water feeding ducks (teal and shoveller) some habitat that has been lacking for well over thirty years.

It may take a year or two for the area to stabilize and birds to adapt to the new surroundings, but the long term benefit of this project will be a vast improvement over the previous conditions.

Thanks for your patients and understanding. Our goal is to benefit wildlife, manage wetland for the greatest potential, improve opportunity for users, and provide unique opportunities.

Thanks to a whole lot of great people (Ducks Unlimited, the contractor, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts and DWR personnel) that believe in what we do and completed the tasks necessary for the completion of this job.

Randy Berger, Wetland Manager, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
9-25-2011

It will take about two more weeks to fill enough to use boats outside the main channels. We are just know spilling into the flats.

Birds have left for the most part and without some new migrations or some movement after the opener it will be skimpy.

There will be water for the walk in folks, but birds are scarce.

Thanks

RB
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[fishinfool]

More pictures and Map of Channel
New channel to swan bay
[inline ChannelToSwanBay.jpeg]
Shoreline restoration
[inline "Improved shorline.jpeg"]
Islands
[inline Islands.jpeg]
Handicap Blind being built on island.
[inline HandycapBlindIsland.jpeg]
[inline Saltcreekchannelmap.jpeg]
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[Theekillerbee]

Thanks for the great info and the update. Give it a couple of years, and it looks like things will be greatly improved! Hope they polished off a bunch of phrag while they were at it.
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