7. Coal Banks Spring
Land Manager: BLM, Burley Field Office
Legal Location: T 15S R 21E Sections 3, 34 Cassia County
Allotment: 4103 Shoulder "3" Inc.
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Shrub-Juniper
Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely impacted this location. Utilization impacts have led to vegetation removal and loss of cryptogamic soil crusts. Severe erosion and lowering of the water table have caused a complete loss of stream flow in the canyon drainage course. Severe head-cutting, down-cutting, and soil loss has occurred over time. Riparian species have been lost from the drainage bottom and the riparian greenline completely replaced by non-riparian species. A broken pole fence is the only protection offered the unique ash cliff/historic mine opening site from which this spring water flows. Livestock have heavily damaged the portal and spring flow. Wildlife values at this site have been seriously impacted.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be withdrawn from this location permanently. This site should be allowed to recover its natural spring flow and re-develop into a site suitable for wildlife. Erosion control measures should be instituted in the severe erosion channel to begin a reversal of present conditions.
Riparian recovery of the drainage without mitigation efforts such as restoring the spring flow and planting of appropriate species would be very limited.
List of Figures:
1. Severe utilization impacts to hydric region; small exclosure in disrepair.
2. Severely down-cut channel, main canyon; loss of surface flow, loss of riparian structure.
