11. Dry Fork Spring

Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 14S R 20E Section 36 Cassia County
Forest Division: Cassia

Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Aspen

Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely altered the habitat at this location. Utilization has completely removed the riparian and aspen understory. Aspen and riparian regeneration have been severely impacted. Entire groves near this spring site are now completely deceased without replacement. Trampling and utilization has disrupted the stream flow, impacted the creek channel, and degraded the water quality. Wildlife values have been severely impacted at this spring site. The Trapper Creek Research Natural area is on top of the ridge visible in Figure 1. Livestock utilization is prohibited in the RNA, but occurred frequently in 1999 as well as in past seasons.

Recommendations: Livestock should be permanently removed from this entire drainage in order to allow for recovery of the still existent aspen groves as well as the riparian plant community. Removal of livestock from this area would also help to protect the adjacent Trapper Creek Research Natural Area. The wildlife values of this location and critical need for recovery should outweigh the use of this habitat by livestock. Riparian and aspen regeneration require a minimum of 3-6 years for recovery. Substantial regeneration of aspen groves at this site will need more than the minimum of 3-6 years due to the level of impacts to the site.

                    1. Severe trampling of hydric region, loss of riparian and
                        aspen regeneration, severe understory removal.