The challenges of managing mule deer on the Kamas unit are not much different from those of most other northern Utah locations. Development, highway mortality, depredation issues and increased recreational use on critical winter ranges have all taken their toll on mule deer populations throughout the Intermountain West.

Last year, I worked to restore an abandoned pipeline system. This system provided water to two separate drainages. Accompanied by local ranchers and dedicated hunters, we repaired approximately 15 miles of pipeline and restored water to areas that hadn’t seen moisture for years.

The DWR has been working to identify a pure population of Colorado River cutthroat trout and to develop a broodstock that can be used to repopulate areas in southeastern Utah. Those obstacles have finally been overcome, and we are ready to begin restoration efforts.

This family wanted to change the cheatgrass desert back into the productive rangeland it once was. The focus was to bring back a lot of the critical mule deer winter range, while at the same time planting seed mixes that would feed livestock.

Dozens of samples have been taken from Electric Lake and Red Fleet since the initial finding of invasive mussel larvae in 2008. All of the samples from both reservoirs have been negative for both the microscopic examination and follow-up DNA testing.

PacifiCorp has teamed up with the BLM Moab office and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to assist in the preservation of the ferruginous hawk, a state-sensitive species.

Scofield Reservoir is a premier fishing and recreation destination, and the primary source of culinary water for much of Carbon County. Since its earliest days however, the reservoir has experienced pollution from too much phosphorus.

Just after Christmas, a large storm hit most of Utah. The storm came from the south. When storms come follow that flow, generally, southeastern Utah gets hit pretty hard. This storm was no exception.

We recently completed our deer classification in the Southeast Region. Deer classification involves comparing buck and fawn numbers to the number of does. We are specifically looking at the number of bucks per 100 does and the number of fawns per 100 does.

Division biologists from the Southeastern Region have been monitoring winter conditions and possible effects on mule deer populations. Up until a few weeks ago, the region had received perodic snow storms, followed by warming temperatures or rainfall.

As a child, I spent many days and nights catching these fascinating creatures. Most summer evenings, I could be found at a nearby pond, covered in mud and holding a bucket full of tadpoles. Luckily my mom, a science teacher, didn’t mind the mess and…