8. Cottonwood Ridge Spring

Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 13S R 17E Section 24 Twin Falls County
Forest Division: Cassia

Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass

Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely altered the habitat at this location. Utilization has almost completely removed the riparian vegetation within and near this spring site. Utilization impacts and pond developments have altered the spring flows. Trampling and utilization have severely disturbed the hydric soils. Water quality has been severely degraded at this site. Wildlife values have been seriously impacted.

Recommendations: Livestock should be permanently withdrawn from these wet meadows and their associated springs. The value of the habitat in this dry region for wildlife should outweigh livestock utilization of the spring site. The habitat should be allowed to recover in order to provide wildlife habitat and to preserve watershed values. Riparian recovery could be hastened through the planting of appropriate species at this site.

                    1. Utilization impacts to springs and meadow region; loss of channel, degraded water quality

                    2. Utilization impacts; trampling of spring flow and wet meadows.