3. Indian Fork, Indian Spring
Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 11S R 29E Sections 33, 34 Cassia County
Forest Division: Sublette
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub-Grass/Aspen
Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely impacted and degraded this spring site. Utilization has altered habitat along the creek flow. Older riparian growth is still present that is withstanding utilization; however impacts have severely affected aspen and riparian regeneration. This has led to loss of the riparian structure along portions of the creek and at the spring. Invasive annuals such as Thistle are present. Livestock utilization has severely impacted the spring complex. Severe understory removal, trampling of the hydric zones, loss of channels, and impacts to riparian vegetation have occurred. Severe down-cutting and head-cutting has resulted. Exposure of bare soils and loss of cryptogamic soil crusts has also been severe in the immediate spring areas and adjacent habitat.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be permanently withdrawn from this spring system and creek. The hydrologic features at this site merit protection such as would be given a Special Interest Area or Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Recovery of the extensive spring site and creek flow would provide quality wildlife habitat. Mitigation efforts such as the planting of appropriate riparian species may be necessary to prevent continued, accelerated erosion from further degrading this site.
List of Figures:
1. Severe utilization impacts to hydric zone, vegetation.
2. Severe utilization impacts to channel and vegetation; erosion and invasive weeds.
3. Severe utilization impacts to hydric zone, vegetation.
4. Severe erosion; head-cutting, down-cutting, top-soil loss.
