It’s all about stability

Editor’s Note: This article was first published in the July 2023 issue ofWyomingWildlifemagazine

By TRACIE BINKERD

Asection of the Green River is more stable and has improved fish habitat after a multi-partner project led by Trout Unlimited. The section of river flows through an area known as Scott’s Bottom, which is part of FMC Park in the town of Green River.

Over the years, the river bank continued to erode, dumping around 1,600 tons of sediment into the Green River and Flaming Gorge Reservoir each year. The Seedskadee Chapter of Trout Unlimited undertook a project to stabilize the bank in order to reduce the sediment entering the river.

Scott’s Bottom is a popular recreation area in Green River. The park offers walking trails, an archery range, a shooting range, picnic areas and access to the river.ÊÊ

“This is one of the most visited parks in Green River,” said Nick Walrath, Green River project manager with Trout Unlimited. “People walk their dogs down there, ride their bikes and walk on the path. The contractors had an audience every day they were working.”

The first phase of the project included stabilizing more than 2,000 feet of riverbank downstream from the Scott’s Bottom bridge. Crews placed toe wood along the banks. This process includes putting logs along the toe of the bank to reduce erosion. Over time, vegetation will grow and further stabilize the bank as the logs decay.

“We put around 450 logs in the river,” Walrath said. “Most of the logs are buried, so the wood in the water provides a bunch of cover, aquatic invertebrate habitat and habitat for small-bodied and juvenile fish.”

In addition to improved aquatic habitat, the project resulted in approximately 2.5 acres of new riparian habitat next to the river.A

See GREEN RIVER on page 15 boat ramp was recently installed downstream from the project, which provides more opportunities for people to float and fish the treated area with a location to pull their watercraft from the river.

Phase one of the project cost about $600,000 to complete, so multiple funding partners worked together to accomplish the task. Funding and planning partners included the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Game and Fish Department Trust Fund, City of Green River, the Greenbelt Task Force, the Central Utah Project CompletionAct,Ê Dominion Energy, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners Program, Ducks Unlimited, Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and Seedskadee Trout Unlimited. Trout Unlimited also contributed funds earned from auctioning a Game and Fish Commissioners hunting license.

“The fact that we had so many partners speaks to how good this project is and how many boxes it checks for a lot of people,” Walrath said. “From this project, we got wetlands, water quality improvement, improved aquatic and riparian habitat and improvements on existing city infrastructure.”

Trout Unlimited plans to monitor the area over the coming year to see how the area recovers from a large-scale project. This monitoring effort may provide hands-on learning opportunities for local students.

Phase two of the project will include stabilizing 600-800 feet of river bank upstream of the Scott’s Bottom Bridge.Astart date has not been set and will depend on available funding.

— Tracie Binkerd is the editor of Wyoming Wildlife magazine