Utah
Overview
Utah is home to some of the West’s most remarkable coldwater fisheries, including four native cutthroat trout subspecies: Bear River, Bonneville, Yellowstone and Colorado River. From the headwaters of the Bear River to the tributaries of the Colorado River, these waters support native fish, thriving communities and treasured outdoor recreation opportunities. Yet drought, wildfire and growing water demands threaten their future. Across our Priority Waters, we are working with landowners, agencies and conservation partners to restore degraded streams, reconnect critical habitat and keep more water flowing in Utah’s rivers. Together, these efforts are building healthier, more resilient watersheds for fish, wildlife and communities.
Fish We're Protecting
Threats & Opportunities
Unsustainable water use and drought have led to a decades-long decline in the Great Salt Lake’s volume and critical water supply issues in the Colorado River Basin. This gives us the opportunity to work with the Utah state government, partner organizations, water rights holders, and corporate allies to reduce state consumptive use and mitigate the impacts of the historic drought on river systems, fisheries, and Utah communities.
What We're Accomplishing
Reconnecting Trout Habitat in the Bear River Watershed
Across the Bear River watershed, we are removing barriers and restoring habitat for native cutthroat trout. Near Bear Lake, replacing an undersized culvert on North Eden Creek reconnected 11 miles of stream and eight miles of intermittent tributaries, reopening spawning habitat that had been inaccessible for decades.
In the Bear River headwaters, we installed 357 low-tech restoration structures across 15.7 miles of streams, improving floodplain connectivity, natural water storage and habitat resilience.
Restoring the Weber and Ogden Rivers
In the Weber River basin, we restored more than five miles of stream habitat, removed three fish passage barriers and improved more than 30 acres of floodplain. On the Ogden River, completing the Dinsdale Diversion project reconnected four miles of habitat. Additional projects will expand fish passage and strengthen river resilience throughout the Wasatch Range.
Keeping More Water in Utah’s Rivers
Our water conservation programs are helping sustain coldwater fisheries during periods of drought and high water demand. Through the Utah Demand Management Pilot Program, we conserved 1.6 billion gallons of water in the Colorado River basin, contributing to a 329% increase in winter flows on the Price River.
On the Provo River, partnerships with local water users have secured minimum instream flows during irrigation season, keeping habitat cool and connected for trout and aquatic insects.
Restoring Rivers Impacted by Wildfire
In the Duchesne River watershed and Spanish Fork Canyon, we are working with the Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and other partners to restore streams damaged by wildfire and flooding. Our projects use natural structures, native vegetation and floodplain reconnection to reduce erosion, improve trout habitat and strengthen watershed resilience.
Reconnecting the Price River
Following more than a decade of collaborative work, the removal of Gigliotti Dam and the $3.5 million Helper Revitalization Project have restored 25 miles of free-flowing river. This work improves habitat for native fish, including Colorado River cutthroat trout and bluehead sucker, while expanding outdoor recreation opportunities for local communities.
How You Can Help
Learn more about how you can help us recover Utah’s Priority Waters.
Contact UsStay up to date about what we’re doing in Utah and across the West.
Priority Waters
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Weber River
The Weber rises out of various lakes in the northeastern Uinta Mountains, stretching 125 miles before making it to the Great Salt Lake. Trout Unlimited’s many projects and relationships with water rights holders along the watershed are having an impact on this critical tributary to the lake.
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Bear River
Running over 500 miles across three states, the Bear is the largest tributary to the Great Salt Lake and the longest river in North America that does not flow to the sea. The Bear is relied upon for energy production, agriculture, and outdoor recreation, and our projects aim to balance these competing demands as we improve fish passage and restore habitat for the river’s rebounding native trout.
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Price River
The Price runs through Helper and Price and offers multiple access points for those looking to fish, float, and have fun. For years, TU has been working to remove infrastructure that impedes fish passage on this river and to restore the Price to a free-flowing system. Through a System Conservation Pilot Project, we are working to secure in-flow leases from private water rights holders, keeping more water in the river at key times.
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Provo River
The Provo River offers more than 15 miles of angling access, prolific hatches, stunning views of Mount Timpanogos, and rich populations of brown and rainbow trout. On the Provo, we worked with state agencies, conservation partners, and Facebook to keep more water in the river and address low flows that threaten wild trout populations during the hottest months of the year.
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Duchesne River
The mainstem Duchesne River, along with its West and North forks, provides more than 80 miles of water known for its native populations of Colorado River cutthroat trout. A tributary of the Green River, the Duchesne runs through Ashley National Forest and is a recreational destination.
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Fremont River
The Fremont River is a 95-mile-long river in southeastern Utah that flows from the Johnson Valley Reservoir through Capitol Reef National Park to the Muddy Creek near Hanksville, where the two rivers combine to form the Dirty Devil River, a tributary of the Colorado River.
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Green River / Flaming Gorge
People travel to Flaming Gorge to fish for record-breaking trout and kokanee salmon. The Flaming Gorge Dam was completed in 1963, and in the decades since, the reservoir has developed a storied history of wildlife management paired with record-setting catches.
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Huntington Creek
A tributary of the San Rafael River, it rises on the Wasatch Plateau in the Manti-La Sal National Forest and flows down to the floor of Castle Valley in Emery County.
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Logan River and Blacksmith Fork
The Logan River offers vast swaths of access, inordinate insect hatches, and a fantastic fly-fishing ambiance for brown, rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout.
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Mill Creek
Named after its historic industrial use as a power source for lumber, flour, and sugar mills, Mill Creek today is drawn upon for agricultural uses and is a popular recreational destination in its own right. Nestled in the mountains east of Salt Lake City, the creek harbors Bonneville cutthroat trout.
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North Slope Uinta Lakes
The Uinta Mountains offer lakes holding a variety of fish species, including brook, cutthroat, tiger, grayling, rainbow, and brown trout, from 7,000 feet to just over 13,000 feet.
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Ogden River
Running northeast of Huntsville, this blue-ribbon fishery about 20 miles from Ogden is home to native Bonneville cutthroat trout. A shallow river, it is often surrounded by dense vegetation and a healthy moose population. The South Fork of the Ogden is also one of the few streams in the state with a salmonfly hatch.
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Bear Lake
The second-largest natural freshwater lake in Utah, Bear Lake straddles the state lines of Utah and Idaho. Cutthroat trout in the lake spawn in tributary streams, but irrigation diversions have historically presented fish passage barriers. After screening irrigation diversions, installing fish ladders, and improving habitat, we have seen a marked increase in wild cutthroats in the lake.
Stories
