4. Kossman Seep
Land Manager: Sawtooth National Forest
Legal Location: T 13S R 30E Section 9 Oneida County
Forest Division: Sublette
Dominant Plant Community Type: Shrub/Aspen/Conifer
Impacts: Cumulative impacts from livestock utilization have severely impacted and degraded this site. Used for livestock watering purposes, the spring flow is placed into a small reservoir and troughs. Concentrated utilization of the site and adjacent habitat has led to loss of aspen regeneration and severe loss of riparian structure. Utilization has resulted in severe understory removal and impacts to the adjacent shrub community. Exposure of bare soils and loss of cryptogamic soil crusts has also been severe in the reservoir area and adjacent habitat.
Recommendations: It is recommended that livestock be withdrawn from this location until significant understory, aspen, and riparian regeneration has occurred. This will require 3-6 years or more; aspen and riparian shrubs need to achieve a height of 6 feet or more in order to withstand short duration grazing.
List of Figures:
1. Severe utilization impacts to understory, aspen regeneration.
2. Severe utilization impacts to reservoir and adjacent understory.
