BRIGHAM CITY – Hundreds of thousands of birds, representing more than 250 different species depend on The Bear River Migrator Bird Refuge as a stopping point during both spring and fall migrations each year.
Right now, water management structures are being updated from existing 1950s to 1960s technology to allow for faster, more efficient control over where fresh water from the Bear River is sent.
Deputy Project Leader, Mike Dunphy, said 13 of the gate structures are being replaced; seven this year, and six more in 2026.
“As water is more limited, I think the refuge serves a more important role, perhaps for migratory birds, because we have a water right,” Dunphy said. “Being able to direct the water to areas that are important for those birds, I think, is an advantage that we have. And with the mechanical structures, we’re able to do that more nimbly and more effectively.”
Older, so-called “stop log” gates would require two workers to drop in and pull out multiple wooden beams as needed, often taking around an hour to manage water flows. The newer gates can be controlled mechanically with the help of a power drill, getting the job done with a single person in minutes. Dunphy said sometimes those faster changeover times may be needed.
“We can manage more areas, more quickly and more nimbly,” Dunphy explained. “Sometimes we get a large pulse of water that comes down the river that we need to make adjustments to be able to put it into different areas of the refuge, to provide habitat.”
The improvements make up the larger part of a 13-million-dollar funding package the refuge received as part of the Great American Outdoors Act. The roughly 100,000 birders and people who visit the refuge each year won’t likely notice the work happening, but the birds might appreciate it.
