Provo River Project

New Regulation Changes on the Provo River

The Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has approved removing special regulations on the Middle Provo River from Legacy Bridge downstream to Deer Creek Reservoir. The changes removed the artificial flies and lures designation, allow for the harvest of four fish, and finally remove catch and release designation for cutthroats and rainbows.

The DWR believes these changes are necessary because of brown trout overpopulation. They have also expressed a concern over enforcement problems on a newly constructed spring creek.

The Society expressed concern over these proposed changes at the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) to no avail. The Society has several concerns over the approved changes. First, reconstruction is not yet complete in this section of the Provo. We believe that the river needs time to heal and settle into its new environment. Second, the litter and economic issues were never addressed by the DWR.

The Society's efforts were to no avail and the changes took place January 1, 2004. We will continue to monitor and report on how the changes affect this section of one of Utah's most fished rivers.