Strawberry Reservoir will get new restroom facilities at the new Chicken Creek East parking area thanks to a Blue Ribbon Fisheries program. Roughly $42,000 will be allocated to the project, according to the Division of Wildlife Resources.
The DWR said Blue Ribbon Fisheries are waterbodies that provide some of Utah’s highest quality fishing experiences. The program that designates and helps fund these fisheries recently allocated over $450,000 toward 17 projects aimed at enhancing these waterbodies so they retain their elite status.
There are 43 waterbodies and two mountain areas in Utah — streams, rivers and lakes on the Uinta mountains and on Boulder Mountain — that hold this Blue Ribbon status, according to the DWR. The Blue Ribbon Fisheries program was created in 2001 by then-Gov. Mike Leavitt, and was formally established in 2005 through an executive order by then-Gov. Jon Huntsman.
“The program was created because Utah’s leaders recognized that fishing is one of the state’s most popular and economically valuable recreational activities,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Sportfish Coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “There was a need to improve fisheries in Utah and to recognize the best angling opportunities in the state. This program helps fulfill both of those needs.”
The Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council selected 17 projects to be completed throughout 2023-24. The DWR said the $450,000 in Blue Ribbon funding will be paired with other partner funds, totaling $1.3 million toward these projects.
Along with the new facilities at Strawberry Reservoir, some of the other projects include:
- Installing fish habitat at Pineview Reservoir: This project will install artificial habitat structures in the south arm of Pineview Reservoir, which will provide shelter from predators for young fish, particularly yellow perch and black crappie. The installation of this habitat should help increase the size of the perch and crappie in the reservoir and will also indirectly benefit species such as tiger muskie that feed on the perch and crappie. About $10,000 will be allocated to this project.
- Duchesne River bank stabilization: This project will help stabilize and decrease erosion on the bank of the Duchesne River, near Hanna. In its current state, the eroding bank is depositing sediment into the river, which is reducing the quality of the fish habitat in the area. Additional work in this stretch of the river will improve the overall quality of the habitat for the benefit of both fish and anglers. About $25,000 will be allocated to this project.
The DWR said 16 Blue Ribbon Fisheries projects and initiatives were completed last year. Over the past decade, the Blue Ribbon program has funded 173 projects and allocated $3.2 million toward improving Utah fisheries. Thanks to partnerships and other funding options, a total of $26.3 million has been put toward Blue Ribbon Fisheries projects since 2012.
