6. Unnamed Springs, BLM Picnic Site
Land Manager: BLM, Burley Field Office
Legal Location: T 12S R 26E Sections 19, 30 Cassia County
Allotment: #97 South Cotterel
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Juniper/Aspen
Impacts: Cumulative livestock impacts to this area range from heavy to severe. A small BLM picnic/spring exclosure has been accessed by livestock, resulting in trampling and site degradation. Livestock utilization has severely impacted adjacent spring flows, meadow areas, and adjacent upland habitat. Understory removal and impacts to adjacent aspen groves have also range from heavy to severe. Riparian tree and shrub species are completely lacking along the lower spring flow, which currently fills a small reservoir facility. Utilization impacts surrounding the reservoir have resulted in severe understory removal and heavy impacts to the adjacent shrub community. The general loss of riparian regeneration, riparian structure, and severe understory removal is very limiting to wildlife species.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be withdrawn from this location. Significant riparian recovery (dependent on regenerative capability) will require a minimum time period of 3-6 years. Willow and other riparian shrubs need to achieve a height of 6 feet or more before exposure to livestock utilization can be tolerated for short-duration grazing. Recovery of the understory and shrub community near the reservoir should also be allowed to achieve substantial recovery levels. The current exclosure should be expanded to include the points of spring emergence and a substantial amount of upland and aspen habitat to provide quality wildlife habitat. The picnic site facilities should be moved away from the hydric region.
List of Figures:
1. Flooded picnic site; severe utilization, trampling of the hydric region.
2. Severe utilization of aspen understory.
3. Severe utilization, impacts to spring flow and adjacent habitat.
4. Severe impacts to soils and understory, shrub impacts.
