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Chaparral Strip Burning Strip hurnin~ on the Sierra Aneha Experi- mental Fore~t is a technique for doing spt'cific prescribed burning job~ on definite unit.. of land. Like surgery in the medic.tl profession. this operation is incisiH' :.mrl require" l'()n"id~ erable skill for _"uccessful application. The primary purpo...;t' is to detemline the ef. fe<.ts on :,oil mon>rnpnt Uf sedimentation wl)po vegetation is removed by burning in strips, Another purpose is to determine the best wa\' to burn strip" whidl hH\'(' het"n sprayed witil desiccants. The plan is to treat the entire manag(~ment unit on a four-yenf rotation. hurning ahout equal portions annu;tlly. Al'ccleration of ero- sion is to be avoided. The strips hurm>r1 rea.-;onahly w('I1 in 19tH. het- tel" in 1962. and the best results were in 196.'3. Killing of ahove ~r(Juncl portion!' of the chap- arral plant!' ha!' a\'erag(>(l more than !)Off,. hut there has l:>een l'onsiderable regrowt h. Soil movement apparently has not l)(-'cn affpded ~ig:nifi('~lOtly hy the hurning:. Brush\" Basin The Brushy Basin watershed contain!' about 0.000 acre!' and i.<: extremely st('Cp anrl rough. It is co\'ered by a chaparral type \'f'getation .so dense and on'rmature that ac("e:-:s hy man. game. amI Ii\'e~to('k is a prohlem. 11w den:<e cover of brush has de\'elopf'<1 at tht, expt'n:<e of more desirahle li\'est()('k and game fomgt' and constitute~ a serious fire hazard as well a.o; hav. ing: a very low watN yield. The hroad objN.,ti\'c of the project is to de\'('lop practical and economical methods of convert, ing den~ stands of chaparral into a patch- work pattern of oPf'n gras:<land with scatten'd dumps of desirable browS(' shrubs interspt>rs("(! with patches of dens(' l'haparral. This patch- work pattern is designed to improw' wildlife. grazing, and water yield value-;. while prote<'t' ing or enhancing the reneation va\lws and re- ducing the fire hazard. Phase I consists of an initial treatment to re. mow the bnlsh cowr hy a comhination of fire and chemical desiccants. Pha:-e II i~ n follow-up treatment by chemical herbicides and uther chemical:". w maintain tlw open gras.';;;.lands in specific area.. fOf fBource betterment. Other areas will be allowed to grow back to brush, TONTO N~ foua THREE BAR WATERSHED SEDIMENT YIELD -' ~ 0. ~ " - ~ z 0 " .. ~ " 0 ~ 0 z 0( " ~ ::> 0 5 :t .. _LI 2 3 YEARS AFTER - 4 5 WILDFIRE . .\\I'ra~r "l'dinwllt Jif'ltI on :i-n:lr t.:Xlwri. nll'lIlal \\ah'r..hl'd.. H. C. :llltl n fllllo\\in~ Uoultll'r .\lount;lin firt" (19,')9). \X'orkman Creek The Workman Crrek water'!'hf'<ls on the Sierra Anch;l EXPf'rimpnt,11 Forest ha\"(' pwvided !'ig:nificant information ahout increased water yields from a mixpd conifer forest which has been partially clear cut. Research data from these water.-hed studies will guide pre-;crip- tions for timber harvBt for larg:er pilot tests designed to increase water yield from the con. ifer type. Prf'Cipitatiol1 awrag:es 02 inches a year. Research on the Workman Crrek \\',ltersheds involves these main ohjectives: 1. To determine the hydrology of waten;heds coverNI with natural mixed ('onifer forest. 2. To determine what changes in hydrology are associated with: a. Progressive changes from tree cover to grass and shrubs. b. Timl)('r management practices of haf\.'e>t cutting, thinning. and road building. Results to date: The clear cutting of .so acres of mixed conifer forest in the moist IXlttOm..;;; of a 240-acre water- !'hed. with coO\'prsion to grass. shows increased water yields amounting to .53<::;- during thE' -t years since con\'ersion. Sediment production was nominaL A timber harvest of 4/)"'; of the basal area by tree !'election in a 3IE~.acre wat{'n;hed showed no significant change in watf'r yield.