The Matt Warner WMA provides valuable big game habitat as well as a quality fishery for the public. The perimeter of the WMA is surrounded by private property. The fencing along this perimeter is decades old and is past the point of maintenance and needs to be completely replaced. Heavy snowpack, poor initial design, wildlife/livestock damage, and overall age have contributed to the decline of this fence to the point that it needs a complete redesign and replacement.

Objective is to hire a private contractor through a competitive bid to remove and reconstruct 17,600 feet of pipe fencing that uses a wildlife friendly design.

Livestock trespass has become uncontrollable on the WMA due to the current poor state of the fence and volume of livestock pressuring the WMA. The trespass use has reached to point that both vegetation and aquatic resources are not providing the benefit to fish and wildlife on the WMA that could be possible. Public use of the WMA is also negatively impacted.

Matt Warner WMA Habitat Management Plan: Protect the existing habitat from deterioration. Maintain public access for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. Control livestock trespass, maintain fences.

N/A

The soil at Matt Warner WMA is naturally high in Phosphate and other nutrients. Hoof shear around the reservoir caused by trespass livestock results in erosion of soil into the reservoir, significantly increasing nutrient levels in the reservoir. Animal waste from the trespass livestock also contributes to an increase in nutrient levels. As the water temperatures warm in late spring/early summer, toxic High Algae Blooms negatively impact the fishery as well as anglers that utilize the WMA.

The majority of the fence will be replaced along the existing fence line, and will not require arch clearance. One minor stretch along a neighboring line has recently been moved about 50 feet, requiring arch clearance that can be achieved with UDWR staff. All of the fence is solely on UDWR lands and does not require NEPA.

A contractor will be hired through a competitive bid process. The contractor will remove the old fencing and replace with a wildlife friendly design made from pipe. The pipe design will require far less maintenance than the existing fence and last much longer.

UDWR staff will monitor for maintenance needs as well as possible livestock trespass from other areas around the WMA.

UDWR NER Habitat/Aquatic/Law Enforcement/Wildlife sections.

Future fencing needs will be monitored by UDWR staff.

Good fencing helps control surrounding livestock use, limiting the forage use occurring on the WMA. The forage on the WMA can then be utilized by wildlife, which helps offset losses from neighboring private property owners.