25. Wild Horse Spring, Yellow Jacket Spring
Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 12S R 30E Sections 23, 24 Oneida County
Forest Division: Sublette
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Aspen
Impacts: A trough is present at each of these springs; close proximity and similar habitat are shared. Wild Horse Spring has been dewatered through development; the trough itself is now dry or non-functional. Yellow Jacket Spring has been similarly dewatered; water still reaches the trough and overflows slightly. Both sites have been severely impacted by livestock utilization. Understory removal and impacts to old-growth riparian vegetation range from heavy to severe. Loss of groundcover, severe compaction, and loss of cryptogamic soil crusts has led to exposure of bare soils at both locations. Aspen regeneration has been severely impacted at both sites.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be withdrawn from these locations until substantial recovery and regeneration of understory, aspen, and riparian species has been achieved. It will require 3-6 years or more for substantial aspen recovery and regeneration. Saplings need to achieve a height of 6 feet or more in order to withstand short duration grazing impacts. Riparian shrubs also need to reach a height of 6 feet or more in order to withstand short duration grazing impacts.
List of Figures:
1. Severe utilization impacts to spring site. (Wild Horse Spring)
2. Severe utilization impacts to understory, loss of
riparian and
aspen regeneration (Yellow Jacket Spring).
