The Partnership works on riparian and riverside lands adjacent to the Colorado River, its major tributaries, and washes in Grand and San Juan Counties of Utah.  Partners work to restore areas impacted by several invasive plants including tamarisk, Russian olive, Ravenna grass and Russian knapweed.  These introduced species out-compete native plants, often leading to diminished habitat, incised banks, simplified river channels and increased fire danger.   In recent years the Partnership has also begun to address impacts of rapidly increasing recreational use in these riparian areas.  The collaboration and commitment from both private and public entities involved in the SEURP is unique and allows for success on projects that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish.

The Partnership’s main activities include:​

• • • • • • Providing a forum for interagency collaboration, coordination and communication.
          • Engaging local community members and visitors in restoration work in riparian areas through educational opportunities and volunteer events.
          • Managing various projects to treat invasive species at prioritized sites. Visit https://wri.utah.gov/wri/project/title.html?id=4009  and https://wri.utah.gov/wri/project/title.html?id=4374
          • Facilitating revegetation with native plants where needed.
          • Monitoring project success:  vegetation response to large scale invasive removal to beetle activity over the past ten years.  Members of the Partnership maintains one of the longest running data sets in the nation on the distribution and impacts of the tamarisk leaf beetle, a biocontrol used for tamarisk management.

Participating Agencies

Bureau of Land Management                       

Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands

City of Moab   

Grand County Weed Department

San Juan County

Grand Conservation District

National Park Service                                    

U.S. Geological Survey

Town of Castle Valley                                    

Utah Department of Transportation

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources            

Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration                                                

Utah State University Extension                   

UMTRA