SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's natural beauty is home to an abundance of wildlife, but they sometimes cause serious roadway collisions, prompting the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Transportation, and other partners to improve these animals' migration safety.
READ: Utah to receive $5 million to build new wildlife overpass bridges
In 2023, seven structures were installed to improve fish and wildlife safety around the state.
This was done as part of the Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative, developed in 2017 to track migration patterns; GPS tracking devices and fish tags were used to develop the data.
It's not just the wildlife overpasses that are part of this project; bridges over ravines or rivers, culverts under roadways, and fences are all used to keep wildlife safe.
Fish ladders and barriers are used to help fish reproduce and protect fish from predators.
“Utah made history when it completed the first wildlife overpass in the U.S. in 1975 on I-15 near Beaver,” DWR Wildlife Impact Analysis Coordinator Nicole Nielson said.
“Since then, at least 119 structures have been completed around the state that allow the passage of wildlife and fish.
"We are so grateful for the partnerships we have with various state agencies, land management agencies, private landowners and other organizations to implement these important structures for fish and wildlife around the state.”
Some of the projects completed in 2023 include the following:
- Wildlife fencing the Eagle Mountain Migration Corridor, Kimball Junction in Park City, near I-15 in Riverside; and near I-89 in Davis and Weber Counties;
- Fish barriers in Pleasant Creek in Garfield County and Upper Kanab Creek in Garfield County; and
- Removal of the Gigliotti Diversion Dam on Price River to allow fish to access rearing habitat.
Upcoming projects include:
Additional wildlife underpasses and fencing US-89 near Kanab, thanks for a $5 million grant from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and $400,000 from conservation groups;
- New and expanded fencing surrounding Echo Junction in Summit County:
- Potentially new fencing and wildlife crossings along Highway 40 in Duchesne and Wasatch Counties.
