3. Buckhorn Creek
Land Manager: BLM, Burley Field Office
Legal Location: T 12S R 20E Section 34 Cassia County
Allotment: #4067 Buckhorn-Churchill
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Juniper
Impacts: A small exclosure protects a section of the willows along the creek, but a majority of the water resources and riparian vegetation are unprotected. Utilization impacts to riparian vegetation have led to a loss of regeneration and complete removal in some areas. A loss of plant vigor occurs under heavy utilization, and eventually the older plants will die out. Without any young regenerative plants, the unprotected areas will lose their riparian structure.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be withdrawn from the lower portion of this drainage until substantial riparian regeneration has occurred within impacted areas. Riparian shrubs and saplings need to achieve a height of 6 feet or more in order to withstand short duration grazing. Another option would be to expand the exclosure to include the majority of the water resources in the lower canyon, including a substantial amount of the adjacent upland habitat.
List of Figures:
1. Small section of creek and riparian willow community protected by BLM exclosure.
2. Severe utilization impacts to unprotected willows, riparian understory, and creek channel.
