OCR Text |
Show to provide habitat for water- dependent birds. Currently the Farmington Bay WMA receives 48,644 visitors annually. Of this, 20,644 are waterfowl hunters and the rest are birding or other recreationists. Staff has identified March 1 through August 1 as a critical wildlife production period. During the critical production period, a 1.5- mile road is opened, with an overlook and interpretive signing and an additional 2.5 miles is opened for non- motorized use. During the non- critical production period another 26 miles of dikes are opened to non- motorized use. An air boat ramp is opened from two weeks prior to hunting season through the hunting season. DWR is pursuing funding for enhanced visitor use development, possibly including a visitor center on the north end of the management area to enhance lake- wide interpretive and education efforts. A number of critical issues confront the Farmington Bay WMA. These include potential impacts from the proposed Legacy Parkway, maintaining adequate water supply and water quality from the Jordan River, flooding from GSL and urban development on the boundary of the management area. Ogden Bay Waterfowl Management Area ( DWR) Ogden Bay WMA is over 21,000 acres and is the largest WMA in the state. Besides being a tremendous waterfowl production and habitat area, it also contributes significantly to recreation around GSL. The area hosts 70,000 visitor days per year, 28,000 of those days represent hunters during the fall waterfowl season. A portion of the area is open year around for hosted organized group tours, appointments must be made with the Area Superintendent. From April 1 until September 1, the area is closed to general public use to protect wildlife habitat values. During the balance of the year, some portions of the area are open for wildlife viewing and hunting is allowed during the prescribed seasons. There are approximately 45 miles of dikes that control water, one air boat launch that allows access to the Ogden Bay portion of GSL and several small boat ramps that allow access to interior ponds of the management area. Water control is a critical issue at Ogden Bay WMA. The area is vulnerable to flooding, both from the Weber River and GSL. Ogden Bay is one of the oldest WMAs in Utah and has senior water rights. Howard Slough Waterfowl Management Area ( DWR) Howard Slough WMA is located along the Great Salt Lake shoreline between the south boundary of Ogden Bay WMA and the Davis County Causeway to Antelope Island. The area was created in 1958 to utilize irrigation water return flow to create an impounded marsh and wetlands of more than 3,500 acres. This relatively small area hosts up to 11 percent of all waterfowl hunter days in Utah. There are approximately 11,000 visitor days annually, which includes both wildlife watchers and hunters. Exact figures are difficult to establish because the manager of this area resides at Ogden Bay. The area is closed from April 1 until September 1 for general public use to protect wildlife habitat values. Different 134 |