Archives West Finding Aid

The Great Salt Lake Wetlands History Project is a joint effort of Utah State University (USU), Weber State University, Westminster College, and the University of Utah. The project’s aim was to gather oral histories, photographs of material culture and wetlands culture, and records to document the fascinating history of the Great Salt Lake wetlands (GSLW) and the people who work and play along its shores and marshes as well as to enhance the existing GSLW collections at the four institutions.

During Utah State University’s collecting day at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (BRMBR) on May 6, 2017, USU Special Collections & Archives, along with the Merrill-Cazier Library Cataloging and Metadata Services unit, conducted interviews with and took photographs of longtime residents and those involved with duck clubs, duck hunting, market hunting, and efforts at the refuge. The BRMBR is located at the northern reaches of the wetlands near Brigham City, Utah. In March 2018, fieldwork was done with the Utah Airboat Association Duck and Goose nesting day event. This community comprises skilled hunters and expert guides. The project received Utah State University Institutional Review Board approval (8533).

A companion collection of digitized materials and images from the collecting day, including portraits of the interviewees and stills of waterway material culture, like duck decoys, is forthcoming.