15. Little Cottonwood Creek, Lower
Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 14S R 20E Sections 7, 8, 9, 10 Cassia County
Forest Division: Cassia
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Juniper
Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely altered the habitat along this creek. Utilization has severely impacted the riparian understory as well as adjacent shrub communities. Riparian regeneration has been severely impacted. Trampling and utilization have disrupted the stream flow, impacted the creek channel, and led to severe erosion. Debris from past construction of pipelines has been left in many locations. Severe down-cutting and head-cutting has occurred, with a lowering of the water table and loss of the riparian greenline. Wildlife, fisheries, watershed, and riparian values have been severely impacted in this drainage.
Recommendations: Livestock should be permanently removed from the Little Cottonwood drainage. Recovery of riparian and aspen species requires a minimum of 3-6 years. Riparian and aspen need to reach a height of 3-6 feet in order to withstand short duration grazing impacts. The levels of erosion and need for bank stabilization in addition to the need for riparian recovery in this drainage may require more than the recommended minimum of 3-6 years.
List of Figures:
1. Severe erosion of creek channel; impacts to riparian vegetation, loss of riparian greenline.
2. Channel widening, old pipelines, debris left in channel.
3. Severe utilization impacts to adjacent habitat, loss of riparian structure.
4. Severe head-cut in channel; accelerated erosion caused by utilization impacts.
