Watershed Projects

Each year, The Provo River Watershed Council oversees, advises, and supports many activities and various projects across the watershed aimed at protecting and restoring water quality in the Provo River Watershed. The Provo River Watershed Council collaborates with various state, local, and federal stakeholders in the watershed to execute and support projects aimed at improving water quality and watershed health. Historic activities in the study area include the Provo River Restoration Project (completed in 2008), the 1996 Tri-Valley Watershed Project, and the expansion of the Heber Valley Special Service District for the treatment of wastewater. Current and ongoing watershed activities and projects supported by The Provo River Watershed Council are described in the following sections.

Photo credit: Jason Roper

Heber Valley Watershed Plan

Using the EPA’s nine-element planning process, the Wasatch Conservation District and Provo River Watershed Council developed a watershed management plan to address the Deer Creek Reservoir TMDL, assess the condition of the tributaries of the Provo River and build partnerships with stakeholders. The Heber Valley Watershed Plan was finalized in March 2023.

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Pine Valley Restoration

The Provo River Watershed Council is helping fund a floodplain study on the headwaters of the Provo River near Kamas Utah. This study will inform a multiphased restoration project which will enhance the braided channel’s ability to maintain the health and structure of the floodplain and aquatic habitat without threatening nearby infrastructure and agriculture.

Stormwater Management Plan

The Provo River Watershed Council has assisted in creating a Stormwater Management Plan for Wasatch County which will protect the Provo River in the face of rapidly expanding urban development in the area. Workshops were hosted in 2022 to educate Heber Valley residents and construction companies on the impacts of urban stormwater runoff on the watershed.

Wallsburg Coordinated Resource Management Plan

In 2012, the Wasatch Conservation District published the Wallsburg CRMP detailing the resource concerns, assessments and recommended actions for the Wallsburg watershed. Since 2012, approximately $3.5 million have been spent on conservation projects in Wallsburg.

Heber Valley NWQI

The Heber Valley National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI) was created in 2023 with the goal of “improv[ing] water quality in the Heber Valley by addressing the NRCS resource concerns of sediment, nutrient and pathogen transport to surface water in agricultural systems.” Any landowners in the Heber Valley area interested in improving the water quality of their operation are encouraged to apply for NWQI funding by contacting the Provo River Watershed Council or the Provo NRCS office.

Nonpoint Source projects

There are currently 22 active projects in the Provo River watershed that have received funding through the Division of Water Quality’s Nonpoint Source program. These projects were awarded funding from DWQ based on their potential to create long lasting, wide reaching impacts on the water quality of the watershed. A few of these projects include: