Wetland Restoration Funding Returns Ecological Health to One Habitat

This weblog was initially posted on the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust website on October 23, 2025. The Belief is co-managed by Nationwide Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy.

In 2023, the Nice Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Belief, co-managed by Nationwide Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, opened its inaugural spherical of funding for initiatives that may shield or restore wetlands and habitats in Nice Salt Lake’s surrounding ecosystem to profit the hydrology of the lake. Eight initiatives had been awarded greater than $8.5 million in funding over the subsequent two years for work that spanned greater than 13,000 acres of wetlands and habitat. A type of initiatives is now full: The Nature Conservancy’s Peregrine Pond. As Program Director for the Belief, I had the chance to go to the location—I used to be amazed by the transformation. 

Strolling alongside Peregrine Pond’s shore, I noticed Curlews and American Avocets thriving, a small group of White-faced Ibis delicately plucking prey, Snowy Plovers exploring the moist sands, Black-necked Stilts tip-toeing via the shallows, and even a Nice Blue Heron patiently statuesque on the far shore.  

Turning north, one might see irrigated rows of crops channeling water downslope into these nascent ponds. Past the fields, new properties pressed tightly towards the border. Wanting on the impacts of this single pond, I used to be crammed with a way of restoration and hopefulness. In 2023 when The Nature Conservancy (TNC) first utilized for the grant, this ecosystem was dysfunctional, like numerous different wetland areas alongside the shores of Nice Salt Lake.  

“Nice Salt Lake and its wetlands have skilled profound modifications over time as water ranges have receded and concrete progress encroaches on the shoreline,” stated Mike Kolendrianos, Nice Salt Lake Shorelands Protect Supervisor, as we explored the Protect. “We actually really feel the challenges of these two forces right here at The Nature Conservancy’s Shorelands Protect.” 

Along with offering wildlife habitat and ecological advantages, the Protect is a essential, protected panorama located between Farmington Bay and rising communities.  

The land that makes up the Protect was as soon as half of a big, wholesome wetland ecosystem with open ponds the place water lapped towards dunes anchored with native crops and grasses. Quick ahead to only a few years in the past, this whole wetland was lined with phragmites.  

“Within the mid-Eighties when the lake hit its high-water level, it killed the native vegetation on this space. When the lake receded it left good situations for the phragmites to thrive, choking out the native plant group and decreasing the heterogeneity of habitat to an invasive monoculture,” continued Mike. 

Though the panorama had already been altered by people, this comparatively pure system nonetheless possessed important ecosystem providers that benefitted the native natural world of Nice Salt Lake. This steadiness continued for many of the twentieth century, whilst housing and industrial growth grew. Ultimately nevertheless, the transition from the encircling agricultural lands to city communities led to much less water flowing into the shallow ponds, and the aggressive invasion of phragmites led to even much less open water habitat. 

Recognizing this, the grantees developed an goal: re-establish the hydrologic and ecologic capabilities on this a part of the Nice Salt Lake Shorelands Protect and subsequently cut back the phragmites’ footprint and affect on native crops and animals. This objective led them to use for a grant via the Nice Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Belief’s (the Belief) wetland restoration program in 2023. The Belief Advisory Council voted unanimously to award TNC’s mission proposal following a cautious evaluation of the hydrologic and ecologic advantages to Nice Salt Lake by a technical evaluation committee comprised of GSL and wetland specialists.  

With the Belief’s funding, the mission was developed to revive 60 acres of wetlands and instantly enhance a 250-acre mosaic of adjoining upland habitat. Advantages of the proposed restored wetland system included improved water high quality, mitigation of stormwater stream occasions, elevated sediment deposition, improved groundwater recharge, various native species progress, and better precision in phragmites administration. And naturally – the brand new wetlands would appeal to all kinds of chook species.  

Mission designers got down to mimic the pure system because it as soon as existed. This method in the end created an aesthetically pure system with sturdiness and the optimum hydrologic and ecologic performance. Engineers mapped the land floor, recognized present depressions, discovered oolitic sands that indicated earlier shorelines, and selected strategic areas for water management buildings to permit stream and depth administration management.  

TNC designed the wetland system to obtain upland runoff from irrigated fields in addition to settle for storm surge water. Deeper pond depths would discourage phragmites recolonization, encourage better chook species richness, and provides aquatic bugs, mollusks, amphibians, crustaceans, and small mammals the chance to thrive as soon as once more.  

At the moment, lower than two years later, their efforts have reworked the dysfunctional phragmites stand into their imaginative and prescient of a wholesome wetland complicated.  

“Standing right here two years in the past, none of those species had been current. Actually, the phragmites was so thick, one couldn’t see previous it to the island. We knew that with the funding from the Belief, this whole panorama might be reworked into one thing lovely. We didn’t anticipate it to occur so rapidly or fully although,” stated Mike. 

The partnership between Utah state companies, the state legislators and coverage leaders, conservation organizations, and the Belief enabled this transformation. Moreover, the Utah Geological Survey has included the brand new wetland complicated right into a broader scale examine to raised perceive how impounded ponds can deepen a wetland hydroperiod, broaden the overall wetland space, and cut back impacts from floods and droughts. As Utah’s inhabitants thrives and continues to develop, the following growth can carry unintended hurt to the pure habitats and landscapes we love.  

Not solely is Peregrine Pond a beautiful reminder of the significance of dedicating our obtainable assets to the safety and restoration of the wetlands surrounding Nice Salt Lake, it’s success additionally serves as an affirmation that Utah can reverse among the modifications time has visited on these habitats. We are able to make sturdy and optimistic modifications to those wetlands if we collaborate, cooperate, and stay hopeful.