Nebo Wildlife Management Unit Spring Enhancement - FY26
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Project ID: 7453
Status: Current
Fiscal Year: 2026
Submitted By:
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Project Manager: Mark Farmer
PM Agency: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
PM Office: Central Region
Lead: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
WRI Region: Central
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Description:
Helicopter lift new water system materials into 2 remote locations on the Nebo Wildlife Management Unit.
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Location:
Two remote springs, Dead Calf and Slab Pile Springs, on the east side of the Nebo Wildlife Management unit in Utah county.
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Project Need
Need For Project:
Water is essential for wildlife and livestock grazing on Forest Service lands east of Mount Nebo. There are 2 new springs in this area that the Forest Service has approved for development. The Juab Livestock Association is planning on improving these springs and adding troughs that will provide reliable water for livestock and wildlife. These springs will add to the water systems on this allotment and help manage livestock grazing.
This area is
Dead Calf Spring and Slab Pile Spring are 2 new areas approved by the Forest Service for spring development
Objectives:
* Improve Dead Calf Spring and Slab Pile Spring
* Install water collection structures piping and spring boxes at each site
* Install two 600 gallon aluminum troughs at each site with fencing to secure troughs
Project Location/Timing Justification (Why Here? Why Now?):
The Forest Service has completed NEPA on these springs and this project is ready for completion. These spring locations will provide water in new areas and help distribute livestock and wildlife use on the Nebo Unit. Lack of action will prevent the use of these Spring heads and they may be damaged by livestock and wildlife trying to access water.
Relation To Management Plan:
This project will help meet some of the goals and objectives of the following plans.
Statewide Mule Deer Plan
Habitat Objective 1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts.
B. Habitat Management and Conservation
a. Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land management
plans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deer
habitats, especially fawning, wintering, and migration areas
This project will help meet some of the goals and objectives of the unit 16, Central Mountains mule deer plan.
HABITAT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
* Continue to improve, protect, and restore sagebrush steppe habitats critical to deer. Cooperate with federal land management agencies and private landowners in carrying out habitat improvements such as pinion-juniper removal, reseedings, controlled burns, grazing management, water developments etc. on public and private lands. Habitat improvement projects will occur on both winter ranges as well as summer range
Fire / Fuels:
N/A
Water Quality/Quantity:
This project will provide good quality, dependable perennial water at these remote locations. The water at these springs is currently just flowing on the ground. Water will be captured and put into troughs. Once the troughs are filled, the excess water will overflow back onto the ground.
Compliance:
The U.S. Forest Service has completed NEPA on these springs and has given the green light for spring development to the Juab Livestock Association.
Methods:
Hire a contractor with a helicopter to fly in materials to two remote locations. Juab Livestock members and volunteers will install spring collection structures, fencing and troughs.
Monitoring:
Juab Livestock Association members will be responsible to monitor and maintain these troughs
Partners:
This project is being done with the cooperation of the Juab Livestock Association, U.S. Forest Service, Grazing Improvement Program and the Division of Wildlife Resources.
Future Management:
This project occurs on lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service. The permittee grazing in this area is responsible to maintain fences and water structures.
Sustainable Uses of Natural Resources:
This project will enhance grazing management on this allotment. Grazing will be better distributed and more water will be available for both livestock and wildlife.
| Budget | WRI/DWR | Other | Budget Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $9,900.00 | $1,400.00 | $11,300.00 | $21,015.00 | $32,315.00 |
| Item | Description | WRI | Other | In-Kind | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Rental/Use | 24 horse days @ $150/day,10 trailer days @ $100/day, 11 truck days @ $130/day, 1 tractor day @ $190/day, 4 chainsaws, cordless drills, sawzalls fuel etc. | $0.00 | $0.00 | $7,207.00 | 2026 |
| Personal Services (permanent employee) | Project planning and administration | $0.00 | $0.00 | $500.00 | 2026 |
| Contractual Services | Four hours of helicopter flight time @ $2,000/hr | $8,000.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2026 |
| Materials and Supplies | 22 cedar posts @ $12/each, 8 pine poles @ $18/each | $0.00 | $0.00 | $408.00 | 2026 |
| Materials and Supplies | Four 600 gallon aluminum water troughs @ $1,400 each | $1,400.00 | $1,400.00 | $2,800.00 | 2026 |
| Materials and Supplies | 2 spring boxes, 2 rolls of 1 1/2 " poly pipe, misc. hardware and fittings | $0.00 | $0.00 | $500.00 | 2026 |
| Personal Services (seasonal employee) | Installing 4 troughs, piping, and fencing at 2 sites ~240 man hours @ $40/hr | $500.00 | $0.00 | $9,600.00 | 2026 |
| Funding | WRI/DWR | Other | Funding Total | In-Kind | Grand Total |
| $9,900.00 | $1,400.00 | $11,300.00 | $21,015.00 | $32,315.00 |
| Source | Phase | Description | Amount | Other | In-Kind | Year |
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| Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) | S025 | $2,500.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2026 | |
| Volunteers - Dedicated Hunters | $0.00 | $0.00 | $20,515.00 | 2026 | ||
| UDAF-Grazing Improvement Fund (GIP) | Cost of 1 aluminum trough | $0.00 | $1,400.00 | $0.00 | 2026 | |
| Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $500.00 | 2026 | ||
| Sportsman for Fish & Wildlife (SFW) | S027 | $7,400.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 2026 |
Species
| Species | "N" Rank | HIG/F Rank | ||||
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| Domestic Livestock | ||||||
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| Elk | R2 | |||||
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| Wild Turkey | R1 | |||||
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| Mule Deer | R1 | |||||
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Habitats
| Habitat |
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Project Comments
Completion
Start Date:
07/01/2025
End Date:
07/20/2025
FY Implemented:
2026
Final Methods:
Worked with Juab Livestock Association to develop 2 springs in the western portion of the Nebo Wildlife Management Unit. Dead calf spring was renamed to Jackson spring and Slab Creek spring was renamed to Bowles Spring. A helicopter was contracted to fly in materials to these two remote locations. Livestock Association personnel and volunteers developed these two springs and installed two 600 gallon troughs at each site.
Project Narrative:
The Juab Livestock Association did not have any way to pay for helicopter time to fly in materials to remote locations. Sportsman groups have been willing to help get these types of projects done to provide water to wildlife.
Future Management:
The Juab Livestock Association will be monitoring these new spring and trough locations in the future.
Map Features
| ID | Feature Category | Action | Treatement/Type |
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| 3123 | Water development point feature | Construction | Trough |
| 3124 | Water development point feature | Construction | Trough |
Project Map
