9. Creek, West of Wagonwheel Spring
Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 14S R 18E Section 14 Twin Falls County
Forest Division: Cassia
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Aspen-Conifer
Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely altered the habitat at this location. Utilization has completely removed the riparian vegetation that surrounded the beaver pond in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows removal of vegetation to an area of bare mineral soil in a trampled area near another section of the creek. Utilization impacts have caused beaver dams in the area to be breached and drained. Fisheries and wildlife values have been severely impacted.
Recommendations: Livestock were not intended to be using this drainage and its series of beaver ponds according to former US Forest Service personnel who participated in the wildlife corridor planning. The ponds and drainage, along with the Shoshone Wildlife Ponds had been intended to serve as a wildlife corridor. Livestock should be permanently removed from this entire drainage in order to allow a recovery of the beaver ponds and the riparian plant community. The wildlife and fisheries values of these locations should far outweigh the use of this type of habitat by livestock.
List of Figures:
1. Utilization impacts to beaver pond and adjacent habitat.
2. Severe impacts to riparian and adjacent vegetation.
