Burraston ponds in Mona, Utah
Salt Lake City — The DWR’s first land purchase took place on Feb. 25, 1901, when the agency bought the Burraston Ponds Wildlife Management Area in Juab County. At the time, the property was called “Two Mile Spring” and was purchased from landowner R.J. Burraston. Later, the name was changed to honor the original landowner. Additional portions of surrounding property were purchased and added to the Burraston Ponds Wildlife Management Area throughout the late 1930s.
“The property was purchased for the springs and for the land around the springs in order to grow and produce fish,” DWR Wildlife Lands Coordinator Chelsea Duke said. “The original property was about 8 acres and was focused on providing fishing opportunities. Today, the Mona property spans over 130 acres and provides three ponds. The DWR manages the property for a variety of upland species and waterfowl, as well as a community fishery.”
The second property purchased by the DWR was the Springville Fish Hatchery property on May 12, 1909, making it the first state-owned fish hatchery facility in Utah.
The main properties owned by the DWR are wildlife management areas and waterfowl management areas (commonly referred to as WMAs). Currently, there are 149 WMAs throughout Utah, totaling over 500,000 acres, or 780 square miles. Each WMA ranges in size from a few dozen acres to over 50,000 acres.
These properties are owned and managed by the DWR for the following purposes:
- Conserving critical wildlife habitats
- Helping to minimize and mitigate wildlife damage on private property
- Providing places where Utahns can go to hunt, fish and enjoy wildlife-based recreation
“These lands are uniquely important because they are the only public lands in Utah whose sole purpose is enhancing and protecting wildlife resources,” Duke said. “Each WMA is acquired specifically because of its importance to wildlife, their habitats and access to wildlife-related recreation for the public. These properties ensure that critical wildlife habitat is conserved, conflicts between wildlife and private landowners are reduced and Utahns have dedicated places to participate in hunting, fishing and other wildlife-based recreation. The DWR began purchasing property in 1901 and continues to acquire and manage lands today to fulfill these conservation and public-access purposes, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to protecting Utah’s wildlife heritage.”
Some WMAs and portions of WMAs are closed to the public, while others have limited access during certain times of the year to protect various wildlife species during the winter or during nesting seasons. For more information about the WMAs in Utah, visit the DWR website or listen to this Wild podcast episode.
