Restoring June Sucker Nursery Habitat Is Essential to Recovering the Species
The Provo River Delta Restoration Project
Delta Features
The purpose of the Provo River Delta Restoration Project is to help recover the threatened June sucker, and in doing so, restore the area’s natural ecosystem. The project will provide and improve recreational experiences in and around the original lower Provo River and the newly restored delta. By building this project, partners in the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program help ensure important water projects linked to June sucker recovery stay on track. The diversity of habitats and function supported by the delta area will provide the necessary conditions for juvenile June sucker to develop to a size where they can survive in Utah Lake.
The delta project officially broke ground on June 11, 2020 and the next three years were mostly spent excavating a system of braided channels and wetland ponds in 260 acres of acquired agricultural land just north of the original Provo River channel. Major revegetation efforts followed construction each fall, with stewardship activities taking place throughout the year to cultivate and protect plantings.
In 2022, the northern end of Skipper Bay dike - which was initially constructed in the 1940s to hold Utah Lake out of the area - was lowered and four outlet channels were constructed through the lowered dike. This reconnected the lake with historic Skipper Bay, allowing Utah Lake to expand eastward toward its historic shoreline. On March 2, 2023, the Provo River was diverted through a newly constructed diversion structure downstream of Lakeshore Bridge into the restored delta. Over the following few days, the river wound its way through the delta and new outlet channels into Utah Lake.
In the first June sucker spawning event after the river was diverted, a near record number of June suckers migrated through the new delta into the Provo River. Nearly 6,300 tagged June suckers were detected entering the delta, from April 1st through July 12th. Incredibly, because only a small portion of adult June sucker are tagged, the total number that entered the delta is likely 5 to 10 times greater.
delta Recreation Facilities
2024 was focused on constructing recreation and access features in the delta and on water management in the original Provo River channel.
Recreation facilities constructed in the delta include educational exhibits, benches, wildlife viewing tower, new trail and new Skipper Bay trailhead with parking, vault restroom and non-motorized boat ramp. The trail along the original channel was connected to the new Skipper Bay trail through a constructed pedestrian bridge, which creates a 3.8 mile loop. The delta opened to public multi-recreational use on October 26, 2024.
The Delta project also provided land and funding to Provo City for construction of the new Delta Gateway Park near Lakeshore Drive. The park’s grand opening was June 25, 2025. Provo City owns and manages the park.
Old Provo Channel
Recreation Features: Construction of new recreational amenities on the Old Provo Channel are being constructed spring to mid-summer of 2026 as part of the Delta Restoration Project. These include three new fishing platforms and two non-motorized boat ramps, as shown on the above project map. The Delta project also provided funding to Utah County to repave the trail along the channel from Lakeshore Drive to Utah Lake State Park. This paving work will take place after the boat ramps and fishing platforms are complete.
Aeration: Two aeration systems were installed in the Old Provo Channel in 2023 and tested to evaluate their impact on dissolved oxygen levels in the channel. Based on positive results, the system was expanded in 2024 and has continued operation since that time. Monitoring shows positive results as oxygen levels in the channel have improved and been maintained compared to pre-project conditions. Operation of these systems has facilitated stocking of multiple sport fish species into the channel by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which manages the channel as a community fishery. Stocking will continue to support increased recreational use of the channel.
Small Downstream Dam: A small dam was constructed on the Old Provo Channel, near Utah Lake State Park. This dam, along with the diversion structure constructed near Delta Gateway Park, are key to managing water in the old channel. They will help stabilize the water level to support recreation and also help maintain water quality by ensuring the aeration system can function efficiently. The Central Utah Water Conservancy is responsible for managing these facilities.
Channel Elevation: Environmental decision documents, developed through public input and signed prior to delta project construction, indicate the channel’s elevation would be maintained at between 4,489 and 4,490 feet when Utah Lake is at or below its agreed maximum legal storage elevation of 4,489’. It is important to note, that as Utah Lake’s water level rises above 4,489’, the channel’s water level likewise rises. This has always been the case. The small dam can not hold the channel's elevation lower than the lake's.
Flows: The original lower Provo River channel continues to receive a guaranteed portion of Provo River flow through the diversion facility near Delta Gateway Park. In 2022, additional environmental analysis addressed the project’s commitment to deliver 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) of Provo River water to the old channel. Conditions for the only possible variations to this flow allocation were identified, as shown in the accompanying table:
