1. Asher Spring and Vicinity
Land Manager: BLM, Burley Field Office
Legal Location: T 12S R 25E Section 14 Cassia County
Allotment #97 South Cotterel
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub Juniper
Impacts: The seeps, springs and spring flows in this general vicinity are dry as of the date of the accompanying photos. A few sites were producing surface water in early April, but continued drought conditions have resulted in little available surface water. However, cumulative impacts and 1999 season impacts are readily visible and have been included in this documentation. Asher spring may also have been dewatered in the past through development; a trough is visible down-slope. The soils of several small seep sites have been severely compacted by livestock, which may also be contributing to the loss of surface water. Impacts to spring and seep sites have resulted in moderate to severe levels of understory removal and loss of riparian species regeneration. Trampling has impacted temporarily saturated (snow-bank) and hydric soil zones. Upland vegetation near moist sites has been moderately to severely impacted, depending on the individual site. Understory removal is very limiting to wildlife species, both mammals and birds. Livestock have initiated erosion on steep slopes between several of the spring/seep sites through heavy use of trails and groundcover removal.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be rested from these locations until substantial recovery of groundcover and understory have been achieved for the severely impacted sites.
List of Figures:
1. Utilization has resulted in erosion, damage to saturated soils, loss of shrubs and shrub understory
2. Severe impacts to cryptogamic soil crusts and shrub understory; erosion of upland slope.
