Riparian habitats are the most productive and valuable of our western rangeland habitat types. A majority of wildlife species rely on riparian habitat for all or significant portions of their life cycles (Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat, BLM, 1986). Riparian habitats or zones perform specific functions within an ecosystem. A functioning riparian zone controls erosion, stabilizes banks and shorelines, regulates water temperatures, filters sediment, builds floodplains, dissipates energy, delays floodwaters, and helps with groundwater recharge (Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health, Bureau of Land Management, 1997).

Riparian functions and values have been widely and severely impacted in the western United States by livestock grazing, cultivation, road construction, mining, urbanization, logging, and damming of rivers. Livestock grazing has had the most geographically widespread effect on riparian systems. The resultant economic and environmental losses have been devastating, leading to a growing number of individuals concerned about western watersheds (Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, Environmental Protection Agency, 1991).

Idaho Watersheds Project was founded in 1993 in an effort to improve management and conditions on millions of acres of Idaho's critical watershed habitat and their adjacent riparian areas. Idaho Watersheds Project works for the protection and restoration of Idaho Watersheds by raising public awareness and knowledge through education about the importance of healthy habitat for native plants and animals, by legal advocacy, and by influencing the management of public and state lands. The purpose of this report, sponsored by Idaho Watersheds, has been to survey and document existing conditions of riparian habitat in southeastern Idaho.

Voluminous data has been gathered regarding the condition of riparian habitats in Cassia, Oneida, Power, and Twin Falls Counties, Idaho following the 1999 grazing season. Chapters 2 through 9 described and illustrated specific geographical locations and the conditions of riparian habitat within those locations. Due to limited publication space, 126 representative sites from the eight areas were selected for this report. These specific sites were chosen in order to represent a variety of topography, plant community, climate, and riparian habitat types. Documentation for those sites not included will remain on file with Idaho Watersheds Project.

These riparian habitats and their associated uplands are utilized for livestock grazing purposes and are located on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the Sawtooth National Forest, and the State of Idaho. It is important to note that out of the hundreds of sites surveyed in preparation of this report, 100% of the locations showed evidence of current or past utilization impacts. The sites included in this report are representative of existing riparian conditions in each of the geographical locations.

Three maintained exclosure facilities that were protecting a majority of the immediate or associated riparian resource were not significantly impacted by livestock use in 1999. These sites still reflect impacts from past utilization or utilization prior to protection, but are in functional stages of recovery at this time. Sugarloaf Spring (Ch. 4, BLM), Shoshone Wildlife Ponds (Ch. 4. Forest Service), and Rock Cabin Spring (Ch. 8, BLM) received minimal or no impacts from livestock utilization within their exclosures during the 1999 season. Other exclosures were located and documented but had been accessed by livestock, were not protecting a majority of the immediate resource, or were non-functional as a riparian ecosystem under current agency definitions.

Livestock utilization of riparian habitat leads to adverse impacts of vegetation, watershed, and wildlife values if proper guidelines and standards are not applied. Table 10.1-1 summarizes the percentage of sites adversely impacted during the 1999 grazing Number of Included Sites and % Impacted by Livestock in 1999.

Unless managed properly, livestock grazing can result in permanent changes in the landscape and loss of long-term productivity. Damage to riparian ecosystems through improper grazing can be severe, long lasting, and in some cases irreversible (Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). Livestock grazing can negatively impact riparian systems in a number of ways. Any disturbance that leads to soil compaction, removal of deep-rooted species, or in any way alters a natural stream gradient can lead to down-cutting and lowering or loss of the water table.

Livestock grazing can decrease the biomass and vigor of riparian shrubs or alter the plant community and its diversity. Grazing can suppress or eliminate regeneration capabilities of tree and shrub species. Livestock grazing can lead to the loss of the riparian greenline, the first "line" of perennial. Overgrazing can lead to replacement of the riparian greenline by non-riparian species (Monitoring the Vegetation Resources in Riparian Areas, Winward, 2000).

The levels of impacts to riparian habitat in these eight geographical regions range from moderate to extremely severe. The impact to general watershed and riparian values sustained by these riparian habitats are illustrated by Table 10.1-2.

Loss of riparian habitat is a major factor contributing to the decline of native plant and animal populations and species diversity. A majority of North American threatened and endangered species rely on or require riparian systems for survival. If our riparian ecosystems are completely lost or continue to be reduced we could lose up to 80% of our wildlife species in the western US (Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat, Bureau of Land Management, 1986).

Significant impacts have occurred to historic habitats, potential habitats, and habitat currently occupied by sensitive wildlife species. Table 10.1-3 reflects impacted wildlife values within riparian zones of the eight regions surveyed.

The conditions found by this survey of riparian habitat at representative sites in Cassia, Oneida, Power, and Twin Falls Counties, Idaho clearly shows that impacts from livestock utilization have been widespread. Livestock utilization has had an adverse impact on the watershed and riparian values of these locations. Impacts to fisheries values and wildlife values have been sustained throughout the riparian habitats surveyed and presented by this report.

Agency land managers have a wide variety of published riparian standards, guidelines and years of established and ongoing research to assist them in the management of riparian habitats. It has been nearly a decade since the establishment of the Bureau of Land Management's national Riparian-Wetland Initiative. The Bureau's Final Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and Guidelines for Livestock Grazing Management were approved and published in 1997.

Similar guidelines have been incorporated into the Forest Management Plans of the National Forests. Each forest has its own Forest Management Plan, which includes standards for rangeland and riparian management. Many National Forest Service and associated publications document established methods for monitoring, measuring, and managing riparian and other grazing lands.

One of the Bureau of Land Management's Riparian-Wetland Initiative for the 1990's main goals is to

In relation to riparian management, the Sawtooth National Forest Plan includes the following statements:

The conditions found by this survey of riparian habitat at representative sites in Cassia, Oneida, Power, and Twin Falls Counties, Idaho clearly show that these goals are not being accomplished. The findings of this report not only reflect utilization impacts from the 1999 grazing season, but in many cases the findings reflect severe downward trends evidenced by cumulative impacts to these same riparian ecosystems.

The downward trends and cumulative impacts result from the fact that most riparian habitats are included as part of larger allotments or pastures. While upland utilization may be minimal, riparian impacts can be severe to extreme within the same allotment. When riparian areas are incorporated into large pastures, valuable wildlife habitat zones become sacrifice areas (Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat, Bureau of Land Management, 1986).

Grazing management is typically targeted towards the more extensive uplands, predominantly grasses. This results in improper utilization of riparian grasses, forbs, and woody species (Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). Since riparian zones comprise only a tiny percentage of most allotment acreage, the forage estimates come from the surrounding uplands. Livestock tend to concentrate on and overgraze riparian areas, while under-utilizing upland forage. Setting AUM's (animal unit months) based on upland forage when riparian zones exist within allotments leads to loss of riparian and watershed values. Riparian habitats need to be managed as distinct and separate units from upland areas (Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat, Bureau of Land Management, 1986).

The Bureau of Land Management's Final Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health includes standards for watershed and riparian values. The definition of a functioning watershed includes that:

The standards describe the characteristics of a functional watershed as including the following:

The Bureau of Land Management's Final Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health definition of a functioning riparian-wetland area includes that:

Based on the Bureau of Land Management's Idaho Standards for Rangeland Health and on the published goals of the Sawtooth Forest Plan, the majority of riparian habitats surveyed for this report are not in proper functioning condition. Erosion, loss of riparian structure, loss of riparian regeneration, lowering of the water table, degradation of water quality, invasion by exotic species, loss of fisheries values, loss of thermal capabilities, loss of bank and channel features, and loss of wildlife values is widespread among the seeps, springs, and riparian zones of Cassia, Oneida, Power, and Twin Falls Counties. The riparian habitats managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the State of Idaho, and the Sawtooth National Forest presented in this report clearly shows that Idaho riparian guidelines and standards are not being met.

The treatment of riparian habitats in the Western United States is alarming and amplifies the need to pay special management concern to these ecosystems. It has been estimated that over 90-95% of riparian ecosystems in the Rocky Mountains have been lost. The Bureau of Land Management estimated that of the remaining percentage of riparian habitat, over 80% were in unsatisfactory condition and dominated by human activities such as livestock grazing (Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat, BLM, 1986). The small and finite nature of riparian habitats, their high fishery and wildlife values, and their high recreational value should qualify them for critical concern in all land-planning and management efforts.

The legacy of past land abuse and resultant deterioration in overall productivity of the western rangelands and our riparian ecosystems has placed an important responsibility on contemporary management (Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). Riparian areas have become both more valuable and more vulnerable. The need to overcome the inertia of tradition and other resistance to change is great. Emphasis needs to shift from micro-projects such as exclosure facilities to full-scale application and towards a focus on complete watershed systems (Livestock Grazing on Western Riparian Areas, Environmental Protection Agency, 1991).

The watersheds and riparian zones of southeastern Idaho, and of all our western rangelands, desperately need the attention of the interested public, dedicated land managers, and our public administrators. The documentation of existing conditions of our riparian habitat is simply the revealing of fact. No amount of excuses, blame, or denial will ever change the past nor the existence of the current conditions of riparian and watershed habitat in southeastern Idaho. However, an awareness and acknowledgment of the present and a willingness to work for change in the future can.

A refusal to accept the existence of the current riparian conditions is an effective roadblock to recovery and implied support for the activities that have led to the degradation of watershed and riparian values on public lands. It is deeply hoped that this report will become an impetus for needed change in our valuable watershed and riparian habitats - not only for the lands whose riparian habitats are presented in this report but for all of Idaho's watersheds.