Wildlife Protection

Keeping It Simple: Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads

"Rock spurs" stabilize river bank and make fish passage easier

If you drive on State Road 35 along the winding Provo River in Summit County, Utah, you may notice what look like small angled dikes or jetties extending out into the water. The 8-foot-long structures are rock spurs installed by the Utah Department of Transportation to control erosion. During spring runoff, high river flows used to threaten the structural integrity of the roadway and the stability of the river bank. The angled spurs solved the problem by directing excess flow towards the center of the river instead of towards the bank. In addition to stabilizing an estimated 1,000 feet of river bank, the rock spurs have made the slower-moving waters at the river's edge more habitable for wild brown trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, and other fish species.

--Apr 25, 2003

Jerry Chaney, (801) 965-4317 or jchaney@utah.gov

Utah Department of Transportation photo

Rock spur on Provo River

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On or Along Waterways - Utah