Willard Bay
Encyclopedia
Willard Bay is a reservoir in Northern Utah.
located in eastern Box Elder County, Utah, north-west of the city of Ogden
, on the north-eastern floodplain
s of the Great Salt Lake
. The reservoir is operated by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and recreation
activities are administered by Utah State Parks and Recreation
. Fish
in Willard Bay include black crappie, walleye
, wiper
, smallmouth bass
, channel catfish
, bluegill
, and gizzard shad (which are unlawful
to possess). At an elevation
of about 4200 feet (1,280.2 m), the area around Willard Bay features cottonwood and other high desert
trees. In winter, the area is a wildlife area for watching nesting eagle
s.
, a Republican
from Utah who served from 1946 to 1959, passed through Congress
the Weber Basin Project. This project called for the creation of a reservoir to store surplus water from the Ogden and Weber rivers that could later be accessed for use on farmland
.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation designed and constructed a 36 feet (11 m)-high earth-filled dike to create the 26.4 mi2 enclosure. The dike was completed in 1964 by the W.W. Clyde Company
, and was named the Arthur V. Watkins dam
. The resulting bay
was named after the nearby town of Willard
.
A bill
in Congress, H.R. 839 and S. 512, The Arthur V. Watkins Dam Enlargement Act, was introduced in the 2007 session to authorize a feasibility study
to enlarge the dam. While the bill passed the House of Representatives
, it was suspended in the Senate
and never became law.
is 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Ogden. It has 62 campsite
s, restrooms, showers, full RV
hook-ups, and seasonal boat slip rentals. The south marina is 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Ogden. It is only open April through October, and features 30 campsites with restrooms.
Geography
Willard Bay is a 9900 acres (40.1 km²) freshwater reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located in eastern Box Elder County, Utah, north-west of the city of Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, on the north-eastern floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s of the Great Salt Lake
Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere, the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around , but the lake's size fluctuates substantially due to its...
. The reservoir is operated by the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
activities are administered by Utah State Parks and Recreation
Utah State Parks
Utah State Parks is the common name for the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation; a division of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. This is the state agency that manages the state park system of the U.S...
. Fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in Willard Bay include black crappie, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, wiper
Hybrid striped bass
A hybrid striped bass, also known as a wiper or whiterock bass, is a hybrid between the striped bass and the white bass . It can be distinguished from the striped bass by broken rather than solid horizontal stripes on the body...
, smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, and gizzard shad (which are unlawful
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
to possess). At an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of about 4200 feet (1,280.2 m), the area around Willard Bay features cottonwood and other high desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
trees. In winter, the area is a wildlife area for watching nesting eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s.
History
In 1949, U.S. Senator Arthur Vivian WatkinsArthur Vivian Watkins
Arthur Vivian Watkins was a Republican U.S. Senator from 1947 to 1959. He was influential as a proponent of terminating federal recognition of American Indian tribes.-Biography:...
, a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Utah who served from 1946 to 1959, passed through Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
the Weber Basin Project. This project called for the creation of a reservoir to store surplus water from the Ogden and Weber rivers that could later be accessed for use on farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation designed and constructed a 36 feet (11 m)-high earth-filled dike to create the 26.4 mi2 enclosure. The dike was completed in 1964 by the W.W. Clyde Company
W.W. Clyde Company
W.W. Clyde is a heavy civil construction firm based in Springville, Utah.W.W. Clyde was founded in 1926 by Wilford W. Clyde, brother to George Dewey Clyde, who later became a Governor of Utah...
, and was named the Arthur V. Watkins dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
. The resulting bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
was named after the nearby town of Willard
Willard, Utah
Willard is a city in Box Elder County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,772 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Willard is located at ....
.
A bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
in Congress, H.R. 839 and S. 512, The Arthur V. Watkins Dam Enlargement Act, was introduced in the 2007 session to authorize a feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
to enlarge the dam. While the bill passed the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, it was suspended in the Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
and never became law.
Willard Bay State Park
Willard Bay State Park is located on the eastern shore of Willard Bay. It features two state-owned facilities. The north marinaMarina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
is 15 miles (24.1 km) north of Ogden. It has 62 campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s, restrooms, showers, full RV
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
hook-ups, and seasonal boat slip rentals. The south marina is 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Ogden. It is only open April through October, and features 30 campsites with restrooms.