1. Jim Sage Canyon, Jim Sage Spring

Land Manager: BLM, Burley Field Office
Legal Location: T 15S R 25E Sections 10, 11, 14, 15, 22 Cassia County
Allotment: #5003 Jim Sage

Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Juniper/Mountain Mahogany

Impacts: Livestock have congregated along Jim Sage Creek and in the areas around Jim Sage Spring and spring exclosure. The location is an undeveloped hunting and recreation site; the camp areas are trampled and manure covered. Remains of dead cattle lie in the stream course. A pole exclosure protects some of the original spring site, but spring sources and flow outside the exclosure have been heavily impacted. Loss of riparian understory and riparian regeneration has been extensive along Jim Sage Creek. Trampling has caused loss of channel features and has led to accelerated erosion and down-cutting along the drainage course.

Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be excluded from the entire spring site and from adjacent areas in order to improve and restore wildlife habitat. Livestock should be withdrawn from the creek locations until substantial recovery has been achieved. Significant riparian recovery (dependent on regenerative capability) and bank stabilization would require a minimum time period of 3-6 years. Willow, aspen, and other riparian shrub replacements need to achieve a height of6 feet or more before exposure to livestock utilization can be tolerated for short-duration grazing.

                    1. Utilization impacts to creek flow, loss of riparian structure.

                    2. Severe removal of riparian understory, loss of aspen regeneration near spring.

                    3. Impacts to hydric soil zone, loss of channel and flow.