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PROVO — A fish only found in Utah Lake now has extra room to thrive in the reconstructed Provo River delta.
Sarah Seegert, resources recovery program director with the Utah Division of Wildlife, said she never imagined a project of this magnitude would have been accomplished in her lifetime.
"But here we are today, on the shores of a spectacular wetland habitat. It's a testament to all the tireless efforts by many of you that are here today," she told the crowd gathered at the Skipper Bay Trailhead to celebrate the newly restored Provo River delta on Friday.
Dozens of local, county, state and federal leaders joined the grand reopening ceremony, which involved a "natural" ribbon cutting with a ribbon made of native wetland plants that was created by local students and volunteers.
The 260-acre project restored a functioning delta between the lower Provo River and Utah Lake. Its main focus was rebuilding the habitat to help the June sucker population, a fish that is native to and only found in Utah Lake.
The restoration started in March 2020 and reached a milestone in 2023 when the Provo River was diverted into the constructed channels and ponds of the reconstructed river delta. The $53 million project was funded by the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, with some of the funds coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
As part of the project, Skipper Bay Dike was lowered to allow Utah Lake to connect with the delta when the lake level is above 4,487 feet, and more than 150,000 native plants were planted. Almost five miles of new channel was built, and berms were implemented along the south edge of the delta.
About 58 acres of habitat were seeded and mulched, and invasive plants in the area were controlled and contained. An irrigation well was installed to provide water for the recent plantings, and a small dam to maintain water levels in the lower Provo River channel is under construction.
The project has already seen success as suckers have been spotted spawning in the delta in the last two years.
Tributaries of the Provo River are essential to the life cycle of the June sucker. Adult suckers spawn upstream and young fish use the tributaries to find shelter from predators while they grow before moving to the lake as adults.
Developing more of the nursery habitat for the June sucker is a "huge step" in making the population self-sustaining, Seegert said.
The June sucker population dropped to less than 1,000 in the 1980s, but thanks to the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program, the population is now up to 45,000. The species was downlisted from endangered to threatened in 2021.
Annalise Blum, from the U.S. Department of Interior, came from Washington, D.C., to be part of the opening. She said the June sucker is one of only a handful of species to make such a drastic recovery.
Opening the river delta is the next step in helping the sucker population make a full recovery, she said. This project shows that mitigation efforts can benefit wildlife, the environment and humans through safeguarding the June sucker, expanding recreation and expanding access to clean water throughout the region, she added.
"The work that you all have accomplished is a shining example of what successful endangered species recovery looks like," Blum said.
Mike Mills, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission executive director, spoke about the history of the lake and how important it has been to the people who live here.
"As we celebrate the milestone with this delta, ... I hope that we can think about the legacy that this project represents. A legacy of giving rivers room to be rivers. A legacy of preserving open space, of responsible water development. A legacy of caring for the environment, and really a legacy of making Utah Lake better," Mills said.
Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner spoke about how her family has lived in the Utah Valley for eight generations. She said her ancestors wrote in journals about Utah Lake being a "vibrant and clear" body of water.
Early pioneers put carp into the lake to provide food for their communities, not knowing it was going to damage the ecosystem, she said.
"As a direct descendant of those pioneers, I feel a moral responsibility to help return this lake to the beauty that it once had when my ancestors came here," Powers Gardner said.
This restoration project exemplified principles of conservation, recreation and partnership, she said.
"We can live in harmony with our environment and still have recreation," she added. "Together, we can make this place a place we are proud to pass on to our children and grandchildren."
The Provo High School marching band performed at the ceremony, and about 20 mature June suckers from a Logan hatchery were released into the river by Powers Gardner and other officials who helped with the project.
Mills said the collaboration that occurred between city, county, state and federal government is what made this project such a success story.
"You just don't see examples of that kind of cooperation across all the different levels of government," Mills said. "If you want to get things done and have a positive impact, you have to be willing to cooperate like that."
The recreation area opens to the public on Saturday and includes new amenities such as trails, parking areas, restrooms, nonmotorized boat launches, fishing platforms, a wildlife viewing observation tower and areas for waterfowl hunting. A park is also under construction.
Fishing regulations for the area can be found on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website. Seegert said the fishing will help reduce the number of predators impacting June suckers and anyone who catches a June sucker must release it right away.
Environment experts will continue to monitor the delta to ensure it is adequately providing for the sucker population.
Correction: An earlier version failed to note that Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission also contributed to funding the restoration project.
