Mud Creek, a small stream that feeds Scofield Reservoir from the south, has recently undergone improvements that were spearheaded by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR).
In the January newsletter of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, it was explained that the creek has headwaters above the town of Clear Creek, with a grazed pastureland along the lower stretches closer to Scofield. Heavy grazing along the creek has resulted in damage to the stream banks, erosion issues and a lack of willow vegetation.
The DWR has been working on improving the section of stream with a number of actions. The latest stage of implementation involved beaver dam analog (BDA) construction along the lower stretch. The goal of this is to improve the overall stream health.
The Forest Service explained that a BDA is a man-made structure that is designed to mimic a natural beaver dam. DWR Habitat Restoration Biologist TJ Cook contacted National Forest wildlife biologist Jeff Jewkes regarding the possibility of material usage from the forest to complete the BDAs.
Cut pinyon/juniper branches are typically used to weave between the posts in the stream to form a makeshift dam. This slows the water and catches sediment, but the nearest source for these branches was a distance away and was not cost or time efficient. With this in mind, Jewkes worked with the DWR to allow contractors to retrieve material for the project.
This was retrieved from a forest location that was closer to the project site. In the future, the Forest Service stated that they plan to implement a riparian restoration project that will include the headwaters of the Mud Creek.