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23A-6-403
23A-12-301
23A-6-403
23A-12-301
0
Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Doug Welton
Senate Sponsor: Derrin R. Owens
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses creation of a waterfowl management area.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
provides for the creation of the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area; and
makes technical and conforming amendments.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
23A-6-403
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 97
23A-12-301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 140
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
23A-6-403
is amended to read:
23A-6-403
. State-owned lands authorized for use as wildlife management areas,
fishing waters, and for other recreational activities.
(1)
The Wildlife Board may use any and all unsurveyed state-owned lands below the 1855
meander line of the Great Salt Lake within the following townships for the creation, operation,
maintenance and management of wildlife management areas, fishing waters, and other
recreational activities:
Township 2 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 South, Range 4 West,
S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 4
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 South, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North,
Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 1 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2
North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 2 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.;
Township 2 North, Range 1 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B.
and M.; Township 3 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 3 North, Range 1 West,
S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 4 North, Range 2
West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Township 4 North, Range 4
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 5 North,
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, and 12, Township 5 North, Range 5
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North,
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 6 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7
North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.;
Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 7 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B.
and M.; Township 8 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 4 West,
S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 2
West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North, Range 5 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 9 North,
Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 11 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township
11 North, Range 10 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 11 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.;
Township 11 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 10
West, S.L.B. and M.; North 1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 9 West, S.L.B. and M.; North
1/2 of Township 10 North, Range 8 West, S.L.B. and M.
(2)
(a)
The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
"Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands
below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Sections 26, 35, 36 of
Township 8 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and M.; Township 8 North, Range 3 West,
S.L.B. and M.; Sections 1, 2, 11, 12 of Township 7 North, Range 4 West, S.L.B. and
M.; Township 7 North, Range 3 West, S.L.B. and M.; Sections 20, 21, 29, 30, 31 of
Township 8 North, Range 2 West, S.L.B. and M., except for the following:
(i)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of the Bear River Migratory Bird
Refuge;
(ii)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Harold Crane Waterfowl
Management Area;
(iii)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of Willard Bay Reservoir; and
(iv)
lands within the May 14, 2019, boundaries of state mineral leases.
(b)
The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned
lands described in Subsection
(2)(a)
as a wildlife management area.
(c)
The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection
(2)(a)
as a
wildlife management area and consistent with:
(i)
the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection
(2)(d)
; and
(ii)
a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
management plan.
(d)
The division shall manage the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area for the
following beneficial purposes:
(i)
propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt
Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
(ii)
preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under
existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species
listed in Subsection
(2)(d)(i)
;
(iii)
providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
(iv)
providing public access in the Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area for
purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with
airboats and other small watercraft.
(e)
The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
described in Subsection
(2)(d)
.
(f)
(i)
The division may construct a structure within the Willard Spur Waterfowl
Management Area only after the division forms and meets with an advisory
committee concerning the structure.
(ii)
The advisory committee formed by the division under this Subsection
(2)(f)
shall
include representatives of users of airboats, users of other small watercraft,
hunters of waterfowl, and other stakeholders in the Willard Spur Waterfowl
Management Area.
(3)
(a)
The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
"Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area" on the unsurveyed state-owned lands
below the 1855 meander line of the Great Salt Lake in Bear River Bay or as mutually
determined by the division and the Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.
(b)
The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned
lands described in Subsection
(3)(a)
as a wildlife management area.
(c)
The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection
(3)(a)
as a
wildlife management area and consistent with:
(i)
the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection
(3)(d)
; and
(ii)
a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
management plan.
(d)
The division shall manage the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for the
following beneficial purposes:
(i)
propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Great Salt
Lake ecosystem and the Great Salt Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
(ii)
preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows under
existing or acquired water rights to provide productive habitat for the species
listed in Subsection
(3)(d)(i)
;
(iii)
providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
(iv)
providing public access in the Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area for
purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with
airboats and other small watercraft.
(e)
The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
described in Subsection
(3)(d)
.
(4)
(a)
The Wildlife Board shall establish a wildlife management area known as the
"Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area" on the surveyed and unsurveyed
state-owned lands below the settled boundary lines or otherwise determined line of
Utah Lake in Goshen Bay as mutually determined by the division and the Division of
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands within:
(i)
Township 9 South, Range 1 West, Sections 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, S.L.B. and M.;
and
(ii)
Township 9 South, Range 1 East, Sections 7, 18, S.L.B. and M.
(b)
The division shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Division of
Forestry, Fire, and State Lands recognizing the division's use of the state-owned
lands described in Subsection
(4)(a)
as a wildlife management area.
(c)
The division shall manage the state-owned lands described in Subsection
(4)(a)
as a
wildlife management area and consistent with:
(i)
the beneficial purposes identified in Subsection
(4)(d)
;
(ii)
multiple-use sustained yield principles as described in Section
65A-2-1
; and
(iii)
a management plan created consistent with the procedures in this chapter for a
management plan.
(d)
The division shall manage the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area for the
following beneficial purposes:
(i)
propagating and sustaining waterfowl, upland gamebirds, desirable mammals,
shorebirds, and other migratory and nonmigratory birds that use the Utah Lake
ecosystem and the Utah Lake ecosystem's surrounding wetlands;
(ii)
preserving and enhancing the natural function, vegetation, and water flows to
provide productive habitat for the species listed in Subsection
(4)(d)(i)
;
(iii)
providing recreational opportunity for traditional marsh-related activities,
including hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing; and
(iv)
providing public access in the Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area for
purposes of hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife viewing, including access with
airboats and other small watercraft.
(e)
The division shall provide the habitat, recreational opportunities, and public access
described in Subsection
(4)(d)
.
Section 2. Section
23A-12-301
is amended to read:
23A-12-301
. Definitions.
(1)
The definitions in Section
23A-4-1201
apply to this part.
(2)
(a)
As used in this part, "waterfowl management area" means real property owned or
managed by the division that is:
(i)
primarily used for the conservation, production, or recreational harvest of ducks,
mergansers, geese, brant, swans, and other waterfowl; and
(ii)
designated as a waterfowl management area by the Wildlife Board in accordance
with Section
23A-12-303
.
(b)
"Waterfowl management area" includes the following referenced in Section
23A-6-403
:
(i)
Willard Spur Waterfowl Management Area;
(ii)
Harold Crane Waterfowl Management Area;
and
(iii)
Bear River Bay Waterfowl Management Area
.
; and
(iv)
Goshen Bay Waterfowl Management Area.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-25-26 10:12 AM