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<br /><0 <br />(Xl <br />0) <br />..... <br /> <br />The second project, started in FY -97, is a continuing effort to use chemical treatments to <br />control srball infestations of salt cedar before the infestation has a chance to expand and <br />overtake t;he native vegetation. Approximately 60 acres of of salt cedar were chemically treated <br />in FY-98.. Fifty acres were treated in Pioche Canyon, a tributary of Largo Canyon, and another <br />10 acres of dense old growth salt cedar was chemically treated in Largo Canyon. Although test <br />plots hav~ shown this treatment method to be very effective for the control of salt cedar, <br />particularly as a follow-up or an initial treatment method, the approach will be evaluated during <br />FY -99 fot its effectiveness on controlling old growth salt cedar on a larger scale. <br /> <br />.~ <br /> <br />'4 <br /><;~ <br /> <br />:-1 <br /> <br />The third project involves approximately 40 acres in the Crow Canyon area, a tributary of the <br />Largo Ca~yon Watershed. The area is dominated by sagebrush with a suppressed grass <br />understory that is exhibiting advancing gully and sheet erosion. The area was selectively treated <br />with Tebuthiuron. leaving a mosaic pattern of sagebrush for deer browse, while improving the <br />. <br />overall w*ershed function and reducing soil erosion. Construction of gully check dams is <br />planned for the area in FY-99, depending on available funding. <br /> <br />1 <br />--1 <br /> <br />;~. <br /> <br />;:i <br /> <br />Soils were mapped on approximately four miles of riparian land in the Largo Canyon watershed <br />in an effort to establish a possible correlation between the type of plant community, salinity <br />content and water table depth. The study will aid in designing future riparian projects to <br />improve the overall watershed and curtail soil erosion. <br /> <br />.1 <br /> <br />:~' <br />ft <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />The Farmington Field Office issued a contract for an Ecological Site Inventory on <br />approximately 75,000 acres of BLM lands within the Lower Largo Canyon watershed. The <br />inventory :will cover vegetative species composition, soils, precipitation, and site description <br />informatiqn. The results will be available for future resource planning purposes on computer <br />diskette and digitized computer maps accessible through ARC-VIEW. The data will aid in <br />implementing sound management decisions with regard to livestock, wildlife, erosion, and <br />watershed. plans in the lower Largo Canyon watershed. <br /> <br />'i~ _ t <br /> <br />-f <br /> <br />, <br />~i <br /> <br />Several vegetation improvement projects were completed in FY -98 in areas that have exhibite~ <br />increasing soil erosion problems. This includes treatment of 25 acres of sagebrush dominated <br />land in Gdmez Canyon. thinning of 45 acres of pinyon-juniper dominated lands and the <br />prescribed burning and reseeding of approximately 70 acres of pinyon-juniper land in Quintana <br />Mesa area. The combined efforts will improve the watershed function and wildlife habitat. <br /> <br />In FY-98,;the Farmington Field Office closed approximately 16 miles of road to vehicle traffic, <br />and approl'imately one mile of maintained road has been obliterated and reseeded. With <br />restrictiol1$ to regulate vehicle traffic on another 100 miles of road. the efforts will reduce <br />resource damage to soils and vegetation from vehicles, and will contribute to overall salt <br />savings. <br /> <br /> <br />Also in FY -98, over 12,500 acres of big sagebrush were treated with Tebuthiuron. Tebuthiuron <br />has been shown to greatly improve the overall watershed by increasing herbaceous plant <br />growth. reducing soil erosion, and increasing water infiltration. The estimated salt savings from <br />the treatment are roughly 38 tons per year. <br /> <br />16 <br />