UTAH COUNTY (ABC4 News)- Residents on the east side of Utah Lake may notice new structures that will become nesting sites for ospreys.

The unique birds of prey primarily eat fish, which is why they are drawn to large bodies of water like Utah Lake. They build large nests and often have a hard time finding suitable trees.

But officials with the Utah Division of Natural Resources say the birds have built nests on the current site of the Provo River Delta Restoration Project that will be implemented in March 2020.

The project is to facilitate the recovery of the June sucker, a fish species only found at Utah Lake that’s currently listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

“We realized that there were two osprey nests located within the project area and that those nests would need to be relocated,” DNR Project Leader David Lee Said.

Since the birds have migrated south for the winter, Lee said it’s the perfect time to relocate them.

“Probably see ospreys show up here mid to late April and if all goes according to plan, ” Lee said. “They’re gonna find that platform and they will realize that that would be a really good nesting site.”

DWR biologists teamed up with several organizations for the relocation, including the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission and Provo City Power. 

This site is one of three planned near the lake.

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