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<br />In Wyoming, BLM continues to work with private users and permittees to reduce sediment <br />and salt problems caused by the existing roads of the Red Creek Basin. In the Cedar Canyon area, <br />Union Pacific Resources has been cooperating with BLM in the stabilization and halting of erosion <br />associated with roads in the region. <br /> <br />tJ:lo <br />~ <br />~ <br />~ <br /> <br />Monitoring at two climatological and 82 watershed sites is proceeding to support more <br />salinity control activities in the Richfield and Cedar City Districts, and the Vernal District's Castle <br />Peak project. BLM was also engaged in a cooperative monitoring effort with Reclamation at <br />Sager's Wash, Utah until the end of fiscal-year 1995. A gaging station is planned at the mouth <br />of Bullfrog Creek, just above Lake Powell and will be operated under interagency agreement by <br />the USGS' Water Resources Division (subject to final appropriations), Investigations of salinity <br />control opportunities are undelWay in the Bullrush Draw (Kaibab Creek), Clayhole and Hurricane <br />Wash areas of Arizona, and in Colorado's Vermillion Creek. <br /> <br />Ran~p.l11nd Activity: The major program objective of rangeland management as it pertains <br />to water quality of the Colorado River system is to implement standards and guidelines which <br />protect water sheds and minimize erosion, saline discharges, flooding, sedimentation, and water <br />quality damages. The development of regional and local standards and gnidelines for uses <br />affecting rangelands will be significant effort through 1997. The BLM State Directors, in <br />consultation with the Resource Advisory Committee and others, will develop standards and <br />guidelines tailored to local conditions. Currently, this program activity provides a salt-load <br />reduction of approximately 9,400 tons. <br /> <br />Improved distribution of livestock and changes in season of use has occurred in Arizona. <br />Colorado has improved the distribution of livestock on 20,000 acres of Mancos Shale, and <br />watershed cover has improved. With Castle Peak and Goslin (Utah) RMPs implementation, the <br />forage utilization and season of use changes have generated quantifiable salt savings. <br />Improvement in watershed function has been implemented on 90 percent of the allotments within <br />Wyoming's Muddy Creek watershed. This has increased upland and riparian plant cover, <br />decreased peak flows, reduced channel erosion, and has encouraged the storage of salt-laden <br />sediments. <br /> <br />The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, provides that 50 <br />percent of grazing fees are authorized to be appropriated for range betterment, as discussed in the <br />next section. Half of the appropriated amount is to be spent in the same BLM District which <br />generated the receipts. The remaining half may be utilized as the Secretary of the Department of <br />the Interior may direct. <br /> <br />Ranee Improvement $ettermenO Activity: The principal objective of this activity is to <br />improve the productivity of public rangeland ecosystems to benefit livestock, wildlife, riparian, <br />and watershed protection by means of constructing/implementing on-the-ground physical <br />improvements that have proven successful in increasing the productivity of arid and semi-arid <br />western rangelands. Through range improvement implementation, Colorado has improved the <br />livestock distribution on, and utilization of, 20,000 acres of rangeland. Currently, this program <br />activity provides a salt-load reduction of approximately 1,100 tons. <br /> <br />4-9 <br />