4 years in the making: Provo River Delta officially opens to public recreation

Salt Lake City — The Provo River Delta Restoration Project began in March 2020, and as of Saturday, Oct. 26, the newly restored delta area and its associated amenities are officially open to the public.

The nearly 260-acre project, located a half-mile north of Utah Lake State Park, restored a functioning delta between the Lower Provo River and Utah Lake to aid in the recovery of the threatened June sucker, a fish found nowhere else in the world. On Jan. 4, 2021, the June sucker was downlisted from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, largely due to ongoing efforts — like the Provo River Delta Restoration Project — by various partnering agencies to help the species recover. The restored delta provides habitat for adult June suckers to spawn and for young June suckers to find safety from predators.

The project was aided by a $10 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"The Provo River Delta Restoration Project provided the unique opportunity for us to partner with several entities on a project to not only benefit recovery of a threatened species, but also provide diverse recreational opportunities for surrounding communities well into the future," Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission Executive Director Michael Mills said. "The new delta provides habitat previously missing from the interface of the river and Utah Lake, which will benefit all those that use the area and will contribute to the survival of millions of June suckers spawned in the Provo River each year."

A ceremonial ribbon cutting was held on Friday afternoon, and partnering agencies gathered to celebrate the monumental project. As part of the ribbon cutting, a few hatchery-raised June suckers were released into the new delta. A free public event will also be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to allow the public to experience the new area amenities. The event will be held at the new Provo River Delta's Skipper Bay Trailhead, north of 3400 W. Boat Harbor Drive in Provo.

Provo River Delta Restoration Project

Since 2020, the following work has been completed as part of the project:

• Approximately 23,050 linear feet of new channel was built.
• Skipper Bay Dike, along the west side of the delta project, was lowered to allow Utah Lake to connect with the delta when the lake level is above 4,487 feet.
• Construction of all delta channels and ponds was completed.
• Over 150,000 native plants were planted in the project area.
• An irrigation well was drilled and installed to help provide water for recent plantings.
• Approximately 58 acres of habitat were seeded and mulched.
• Phragmites and other invasive plants across the site have been controlled or contained.
• The original Provo River near Lakeview Parkway was downsized.
• A small dam close to Utah Lake State Park began construction, in order to maintain water levels in the existing Lower Provo River channel and to prevent fish from entering or leaving.
• Berms were constructed along the south edge of the delta and the new Provo River channel east of Lakeview Parkway.
• A variety of new amenities were constructed in the area.

"With transformational resources provided through President Biden's Investing in America agenda, the Interior Department is collaborating with states, Tribes and partners across the West to accelerate the completion of projects like the Provo River Delta Restoration Project," said Department of the Interior Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Annalise Blum. "Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the restored delta area officially opening today will help to safeguard the threatened June sucker, expand recreational opportunities for community residents and accelerate efforts to expand access to clean and reliable water throughout the region."

New recreational opportunities and future management of the area

In addition to helping with June sucker recovery, the project also offers an improved ecosystem and more recreational opportunities in the revitalized Provo River Delta, including trails, trailhead parking areas, restrooms, nonmotorized boat launches, fishing platforms, interpretive features, a wildlife-viewing observation tower and a park (currently under construction).

With the area opening to the public on Oct. 26, fishing will be allowed in the delta. The Utah Wildlife Board recently approved the 2025 fishing regulations for the new Provo River Delta area, including:

• All suckers must be immediately released.
• No limit for white bass.
• No limit on northern pike. Anglers must not release any northern pike they catch — all northern pike must be immediately killed.
• A daily fish limit of eight channel catfish.
• A daily fish limit of four trout.
• A daily fish limit of six largemouth and smallmouth bass (a combined total).
• A daily fish limit of 24 bullhead.
• A daily fish limit of 50 black crappie and white crappie (a combined total).
• A daily fish limit of 50 bluegill and green sunfish (a combined total).
• Any walleye caught in the area from March 1 through 6 a.m. on the first Saturday of May must be released (while the fish are spawning). Otherwise, the daily fish limit is 10 walleye, with only one over 24 inches.
• Closed to nighttime bowfishing (from sunset to sunrise) from the first Saturday in May through 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of July.
• Spearfishing is not permitted in the Provo River or Provo River Delta.

These same regulations also apply to the remainder of 2024, and anglers can find all the fishing regulations in the 2024 Utah Fishing Guidebook. (In the 2024 guidebook, the delta is not referenced by name, and the regulations that apply to the delta area are the same as those for the lower Provo River, from the Center Street Bridge to I-15.)

"We are hopeful that with this area opening to fishing that anglers can help reduce the number of predators that are impacting June suckers," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Recovery Program Director Sarah Seegert said. "In addition to the wetland vegetation in the delta providing young June suckers a place to hide from predators, we are also excited about the new fishing opportunities that this area will provide."

Anglers and boaters should note that only nonmotorized boats will be allowed in the new delta area.

As of Oct. 26, the area will also be open to waterfowl hunting, but hunters should note that there are several designated no-shooting zones within the Provo River Delta, due to the proximity of nearby buildings and trails. The primary no-shooting zone is located along the eastern and southern edges of the delta, and it extends 600 feet into the delta. Visitors will find many large, easy-to-spot signs that identify the hunt area boundaries as well as multiple maps and signs along the walking trails to serve as a reminder that hunting is allowed in specific areas.

"We want to balance the many recreational uses that will take place in this area, while also maintaining public safety," Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Central Region Supervisor Jason Vernon said. "Respecting the safety zone and adjacent private property boundaries will help ensure the future of hunting in the Provo River Delta."

There will also be ongoing habitat work occurring in the area for several weeks, as well as other recreational use of the area.

Parts of the delta area will eventually be owned by the DWR and managed as a waterfowl management area. The trail, Skipper Bay Trailhead and the observation tower will be owned and managed by Utah County, and the Delta Gateway Park will be managed by Provo City. A full management plan for the future waterfowl management area will be proposed and provided for public feedback in the future.

All regulations listed in the 2024-25 Utah Waterfowl Guidebook apply to hunts in this area.

Several organizations were involved in the unique Provo River Delta Restoration Project and in the ongoing recovery of the June sucker, including:

• Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission
• Central Utah Water Conservancy District
• U.S. Department of Interior CUPCA Office
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
• Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
• June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program

"The June sucker program partners have played a vital role in the success of the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program," Central Water Conservancy District General Manager Gene Shawcroft said. "Through our partners, the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program has been successful at acquiring water to supplement flows in the Provo River to keep the river from going dry during hot summer months when irrigation demands are at their peak. Water has been obtained through direct purchase, water conservation and environmental commitments associated with new water development projects. This water is critical to ensure the necessary conditions to support June sucker spawning and recruitment, as well as benefiting many species that rely on the Provo River and the tributary it supports."

History of the June sucker

There were multiple contributing factors that led to the decline of the June sucker, including overharvesting by early settlers, water-flow alterations and drought, habitat changes, and competition with and being preyed on by exotic fish species. At one point, the June sucker population dropped to fewer than 1,000 fish, with fewer than 300 spawning individuals, and they were placed on the endangered species list in 1986.

However, in 2002, several local and federal agencies and outdoor and environmental interest groups partnered to work to restore June sucker populations, eventually creating the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program. Currently, there is an estimated total of 30,000 to 45,000 fish in the spawning population in Utah Lake. This year, 3,785 tagged June suckers were detected spawning in the Provo River, including the new delta area. However, because most June suckers are not tagged, the actual number was undoubtedly much higher.

Along with addressing streamflows in the tributaries to Utah Lake, the partnership also worked to establish a June sucker hatchery and culture program at the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Fish Hatchery in Logan. A special water-recirculation facility is used there to quickly grow the fish in warmer water. Then, once they are big enough, the fish are restocked into Utah Lake to help the population grow.

For more information about the Provo River Delta Project, visit the project website or watch the video on the DWR YouTube Channel.