WMOD00314

• Project Name: Uintah Ecology Project
• Title: Potential Ecological Impacts of Snowpack Augmentation in the Uintah Mountains, Utah
• Date: 4/20/1981
• State: UT
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

ABSTRACT

The Uinta Mountains include 13,620 Km2 of land above 2,135 m. The
range includes 26 peaks that rise above 3,965 m. Over 1.8 Km3 of sur-
face runoff water originates annual on the range.
The commonest rock type in the interior of the Uintas is Uinta
quartzite, a hard rock that produces infertile soils on weathering. The
higher elevation, least fertile soils are dominated by coni,ferous for-
~
ests. Lodgepole pine is the commonest conifer and dominates over 60% of
the coniferous forest area. Engelmann spruce is also common at higher
elevations. Most coniferous forests on the range are open and have low
productivity. The Uintas produce about 1.41 x 105 m3 of timber per
year: lodgepole contributes about 59% of that total and Engelmann
spruce about 31%.
The Uintas furnish about 119,709 animal unit months (AUMs) of
grazing for domestic livestock. Cattle account for 52% and sheep 46% of
the AUMs. The range and water impoundments around its edges furnish
about three million days of recreation annually. Camping, fishing,
hiking artd big game hunting account for 33, 20, 13, and 10% respectively
of the visitor days.
Most of the land (66%) is managed by The U.S. Forest Service.
Private interests control another 24% of the area above 2,135 m.
This report will consider the impact of late lying snow on the
lodgepole pine, subalpine meadow, spruce-fir, and alpine herbland eco-
systems. The linkage between snowpack and streamflow is considered.
Background levels of silver in plants and soils are reported and the
vegetational monitor design for the study is evaluated. The use of
satellite photos for monitoring snowpack retreat is also discussed.

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