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Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project

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Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project 2002 Annual Report Research Monitoring Demonstrative Restorative Techniques and Adaptive Management The State Division of Environ- Utah State University mental Quality has applied a Partnership Overview researchers and private land stream visualization assessment The Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project is a collabo- managers have demonstrated process to private land along rative partnership addressing restoration needs, management range and pasture manage- the Sevier River to increase challenges, and research opportunities for rangelands, agricultural ment techniques that can be awareness of stream channel lands, forestlands, and aquatic ecosystems in the Upper Sevier applied to better manage conditions. Watershed. vegetative conditions within the watershed. Mission The Utah State Division of The Upper Sevier Soil Conser- Wildlife Resources and local The mission of the Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project is organized into four major endeavors: vation District has emphasized land owners on the East Fork of cooperation, coordination and • Research, monitoring and adaptive management the Sevier River have restored collaboration through annual over 9 miles of stream channel • Demonstrating restorative techniques field tours within the watershed to improve fisheries habitat and • Restoration and maintenance of watershed ecosystems and with monthly technical riparian function. • Cooperation, coordination and collaboration advisory committee meetings emphasizing watershed assess- ment and planning goals. Restoration and Maintenance of Watershed Ecosystems Cooperation, Coordination and Collaboration Page 2 The Upper Sevier Watershed Utilizing Geographic Information System Utilizing local knowledge of Management Plan continues to (GIS) maps, each watershed has been the watershed conditions, progress utilizing direction found displayed to show its’ major ecological and historical and current in “Ecosystem Analysis at the social features. This will increase a coop- condition analysis is used to Watershed Scale” federal guide. erative understanding of the watershed better understand restora- This analysis method has been structure and ecosystem dynamics. tion opportunities. preferred for our interagency plan development. Visualization and Watershed Current & Historical Characteristics Conditions Assessment Partnership Goals In an effort to better understand the watershed focus areas, the watershed assessment process will need to be collaboratively assembled into a plan document for all the watershed. Current goals for development of watershed plan will focus on the East Fork Sevier River. This area is slated for total maximum daily load analysis (TMDL) in the upcoming year and will help in cooperative management in the watershed with the EPA and the State of Utah Department of Environmen- tal Quality. Cooperation and coordination between the public and government agencies will be essential for a cohesive development of the watershed management plan. The current structure of the technical advisory committees (TACs) will facilitate this effort in involving multiple resource perspectives. Priority Ratings of Watersheds for Restoration Resource Issues Opportunities Key Issue Identification Issue identification will focus on the Priority ratings are currently being most relevant management questions Restoration projects are currently compiled and will need to be coop- associated with human values and being prioritized according to eratively agreed upon to enhance the resource conditions. The partnership current recommendations and key leveraging ability of the watershed. issues. Restoration objectives will be must collaboratively agree on key a driving force in the future and will issues that have been represented by assist in fund leveraging objectives. many resource specialists and land- Page 3 owners. Accomplishments Riparian and Habitat Management • 23 miles of riverine valleys Major accomplishments within the inventoried watershed with riparian and habitat • 450 acres of soil and water improvements have been high- resource improvements lighted by cooperative fisheries • 110 acres of lake habitat projects with private landowners improved and State Division of Wildlife • 10 miles of stream channels Resources. Species habitat restored monitoring on management indicator species has also been a partnership goal. Access Management • Duck/Swains Access Man- Access management objectives this agement Project DEIS year have involved actions released, October 2002 associated with the Upper Sevier • 176 miles of trails main- Trails Workshop to develop goals tained/improved related to trail expansion along the • Upper Sevier Trails Work- Sevier River. The Duck Creek shop held October 2002 Swains Access Management draft EIS (released Oct. 2002) will address possible road decommis- sioning and closure for watershed and habitat improvement goals. Vegetation Management • 1,500 acres of noxious weeds Vegetation management has been treated emphasized this year by the Utah • 480,000 acres of rangeland State University Extension Service monitored with workshops highlighting range • 17 acres of reforestation and pasture management. Forest • 2,500 acres of rangeland Service emphasis has included improved/established projects related to the Englemann • 4 million board feet of timber Spruce ecosystem recovery efforts, harvested aspen regeneration monitoring and tree stand density reduction related to mixed conifer and ponderosa ecosystems. Fire Management • 101 acres of brush disposal Current accomplishments within • 2,000 acres of wildland/urban the watershed include urban interface lands treated wildland fire interface projects • 40,000 acres of prescribed with landowners, Forest Service fire objectives meeting and State of Utah Division of ecological goals. Forestry and Fire to work together in achieving structural protection goals. The prescribed fire accom- plishments within the watershed have focused on vegetative/fuels management for ponderosa pine and pinyon-juniper ecotypes. Page 4 Duck Creek Fuels Reduction Analysis Environmental Conseqences/Outcomes Related to Fire Management Duck Creek, Utah, located in the Upper Sevier River Asay Creek subwatershed, was identified as one of the Urban Wildland Interface Communities at risk from fire as part of the National Fire Plan. Duck Creek consists of several privately owned, small subdivisions adjacent to Forest Service lands. A recent spruce-bettle epidemic, as well as a lack of periodic fire, and current drought conditions in southern Utah, has left this area at high risk to wildland fire. The Duck Creek Fuels Reduction project, currently in the analysis stage, with Forest Service work scheduled to begin next summer, will reduce accumulated fuels and staff have create defensible natural space around the perimeter of several subdivisions. emphasized the Overall, the project covers a 15,000 acre area, to be completed over the next importance of 5 years. partnerships in achieving Currently, fuel load throughout much of this area is as high as 25-50 tons/ common goals in acre. Following the treatment, which will consist of removal of smaller the urban diameter trees, followed by pile and broadcast burning, fuel loads are wildland fire expected to be in the vicinity of 15 tons/acre. interface areas of the forest. Thinning of dense undergrowth will see an increase in aspen, grasses and forbs, thereby reducing erosion within the watershed. Fuels Private lands adjacent to forest lands with high fuel Maintaining defensible natural spaces with low loading are at risk to catastrophic wildfire. Fuel (high density small diameter trees and large fuel loading around communities will decrease reduction programs are much safer and cost concentrations of downed woody debris) fire hazard. effective than wildland fires. Reduction As part of the fuels reduction, area homeowners are encouraged to maintain defensible space on their own property, as well as surrounding forest lands. Page 5 Accomplishments and Growth Roles, Traditions Panguitch elementary Various partners continue to take the lead role in furthering grade school watershed restoration objectives. students help plant willows, Utah State University (USU), and in particular Garfield pull weeds and County Extension continues to work with local schools and improve civic groups to accomplish volunteer restoration projects. riparian This past year’s annual watershed days included watershed conditions along Panguitch Creek education and improvements at the Panguitch Outdoor as part of Classroom, and willow planting and fencing on local Community ranches. In addition, 4-H and scout groups have used the Watershed Days. USU Panguitch farm for demonstration stream restoration projects. Upper Sevier Soil Conservation District remains the leader in providing landowners with available low interest loans and other cost- share opportunities. They have also taken the lead role in developing the Upper Sevier Community Watershed Project Newsletter to better involve and update local landowners. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) continues to complete phases of restoration work in the East Fork of the Sevier River. Re-establishing streambank vegetation and re-creating stream meanders has encouraged other adjacent landowners in the area to improve fisheries and riparian habitat and function. Species habitat restoration involving forage development goals has been an annual goal for DWR, within the watershed.
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