DWR reports chub netting a success

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Rick Larsen with the Division of Wildlife Resources reported on the netting of chubs at Joe’s Valley to the Emery County Public Lands Council. He said this year they have netted 13,000 pounds of chubs. In the three year period they have worked on this project 40,000 pounds have been caught and eliminated from Joe’s Valley. Larsen said an estimated one billion eggs have been removed, but he’s not sure who is counting the eggs, so numbers are approximate.
Larsen said they are running a cutthroat trap at Duck Fork, which is being used as a brood lake, but no eggs have been gathered there yet.
The DWR is still looking for a disease free source of tiger muskie. When they locate the fish the DWR will be establishing a series of ponds by the Lee Kay Center to raise their own tiger muskies.
The agreement with the Navajo tribe for the buck permits on tribal lands will be negotiated. At first they said they wanted to get out of the agreement and now they are asking the DWR to come to the tribal house and sell those buck permits. So the DWR will go to Window Rock and sell the permits. The tribe has the right to hunt on tribal lands, but the state feels having an agreement is better. So the two parties involved are looking at modifying the current agreement.
Larsen said the DWR will be going to four 10 hour shifts as per the governors request. New office hours will be Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. He said with all the internet services that are available around the clock he doesn’t think service to the public will decline by being closed on Fridays.
Larsen said he will be leaving the area and a new regional supervisor will be appointed. “I have enjoyed my time down here and have felt very welcome. It’s been a pleasure to work with you gentlemen.”
Sherrel Ward asked about the status of Range Creek. Larsen said the plan is together and will go before the Wildlife Board. The DWR is managing Range Creek as if the plan had already been approved. The plan is currently going through an internal review process before it goes to the Wildlife Board.
Commissioner Gary Kofford expressed appreciation to Larsen for the excellent job he has done and the county is sorry he’s leaving.
The forest service reported on their activities. They are still working on the motor vehicle use map. It will be finalized and in print soon. Yearly revisions of the map will be made as needed. Work is being done on trails. There are many falling trees onto campgrounds and trails.
The musk thistle is getting out of hand and Sherrel Ward said maybe the scouts could be invited again to have a musk thistle jamboree and get them out.
Kofford said a meeting was promised for getting out in the field and looking at the campsites which are 150 feet off the roads and getting them designated as open, but this meeting hasn’t taken place yet. Justin Hart said he would see what the hold up is on that and get a meeting and field trip put together.
There was a short flush from Electric Lake and a lot of debris came down and it flushed out some of the beaver dams in the area.
Ward thanked everyone who attended the tour of the Huntington/Cleveland Salinity project. He said they had a broken main line the night before so the sprinklers weren’t operating, but it was a good tour.
They went to Ferron and saw their salinity project also. Roger Barton showed them pivots being operated by water pressure and not needing electricity or a diesel pump.
The only reservoir which hasn’t spilled is Huntington up on top and it is 86 percent full. Ward said they are opening the reservoirs on July 9 which is about a week and a half later than usual which saves water. Huntington North is 95 percent full and will stay full later in the season as the irrigators become more efficient with their sprinklers.
There are still snow drifts on upper Joe’s Valley. There were large crowds of campers over the fourth of July weekend and many ATV accidents which kept forest service personnel running all weekend.
Ward wondered if campers are ever monitored so the forest service knows the usage from year to year. Hart said they have someone who monitors those numbers and he can bring the numbers to the council in the future.