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~ ~ ~ Y <br />Implementation <br />Because of a total lack of any soil in the ditch it was <br />suspected to be very infertile. Diarmionium phosphate at the rate of <br />300 lbs/acre was broadcast mto the floor of the ditch. The <br />fertilizer was worked in with a field cultivator. Seed was broad- <br />cast with a cyclone seeder at the following rate: <br />Species Rate in lbs/acre <br />Western Wheatgrass 10 <br />Slender Wheatgrass 10 <br />Sherman Big Bluegrass 5 <br />Green Needlegrass 3 <br />Indian Ricegrass 3 <br />Basin Wildrye 7 <br />The seed was covered m the ditch floor by dragging a chain <br />down the ditch a couple of times and on the outs lope and inslope <br />where there was loose soil material the seed was covered by raking. <br />Approximately 100 bitterbrush, 100 mountain mahogany, 100 currant, <br />25 rose, and 25 chokecherry native plant tubelings were planted in <br />various locations along the ditch. <br />Management <br />This diversion ditch is in an area that is not readily acces- <br />sible to grazing, thus fencing is not a problem. Fertilizer <br />(30-10-0) has been applied in the spring of 1980 ~d 1981 at the <br />rate of 120 lbs/acre. <br />Results <br />Total plant cover of the ditch floor, the inslope, and out- <br />slope does not average more than 15 percent. In several areas along <br />the ditch (Photograph 13) there are an ample number of live plants <br />but because of low fertility these plants remain small and hence the <br />Iow cover value. There are also parts of the ditch in more severe <br />exposures where the live plants are scarce (Photograph 14 ). Approxi- <br />mately 35-40 percent of the ditch including most of the steep in- <br />slopes and outslopes fall into this poor category. Seeded perennial <br />species which are present include western Wheatgrass, slender Wheat- <br />grass, green needlegrass, Indian ricegrass, Sherman big bluegrass, <br />and basin wildrye. Blue flax, penstemon, golden corydalis, aster, <br />big sage, Russian thistle, and beeplant are also present. Parts of <br />the diversion ditch also have an infestation of leafy spurge. <br />A few bitterbrush and rabbitbrush tubelings are surviving m <br />the upper part of the outs lope and a very good stand of rose and <br />