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Recommendation: No additional reclamation work is necessary. The protection fence is well <br />constructed and will require minimal maintenance; fencing will be maintained azound the site for <br />3 or 4 more yeazs. <br />Reclaim at We11.lA-4HI: An excellent response of seeded species. There is a good distribution <br />of seeded fortis and grasses and four-wing saltbush across the site. The topsoil had been spread <br />evenly to create a firm seedbed. You could see where a lot of the forb and grasses had <br />germinated and established in the dozer cleat marks. As at 3A-4H and 4-3H, Russian thistle <br />occurs across the location but will eventually be out-competed by the perennial species. <br />One thing I noticed was that about half of the original topsoil pile was used and still remains <br />inside the protection fence azound the location. The remaining topsoil in the pile has a heavy <br />cheatgrass and Russian thistle cover with very little cover from perennial plants. There was <br />likely a lazge seed bank of both weedy species in the topsoil used on 1 A-4HI. Very little <br />cheatgrass was observed within the reclaimed azea. The methods used in spreading the topsoil <br />and creating a seedbed and the timing of seeding were successful in competing with cheatgrass. <br />Recommendation: No additional reclamation work is necessary on the reclaimed azea. The <br />protection fence is well constructed and will probably require minimal maintenance. I would <br />leave the fence azound the site fora 3 or 4 more years. <br />One thing I would do is disturb the topsoil pile which remains within the enclosure. If the pile is <br />not going to be used for any reclamation work this fall, I would spread the pile to the east over <br />the azea covered by the original pile. Spread the topsoil to about 2 feet deep with 4 to 1 side <br />slopes and fum the pile by mm~ing the dozer across the pile to cover the pile with dozer tracks <br />with the cleat marks on the contour. Then broadcast seed on the pile soon after the dozer <br />finishes. <br />Reclaim at Well 26-91-2H: This site is behind a mobile home and appeazs to have been <br />reclaimed several years ago. The seeding at this site is well established. The fence azound the site <br />is not necessary to protect the seeding and may be removed. <br />Topsoil Piles: As noted above, the topsoil piles have a heavy cover of cheatgrass and Russian <br />thistle and very little cover of perennial species. The result is a large seed bank of weedy species <br />that can create problems when the soil is used to reclaim disturbed sites. <br />Recommendation: Remove the protection fences from azound the. piles to allow <br />livestock/wildlife access to the piles. This may help by increasing grazing use of cheatgrass in <br />the spring which can decrease seed production. Also, the trampling effect will help firm up some <br />of the unstable slopes that still exist and help plant seed from the few perennial species that occur <br />on the piles. <br />Update the signage of all topsoil piles. Also, new topsoil piles should be spread over a lazger azea <br />about 2 feet deep with 4 to 1 slopes. The pile needs the seedbed firmed by mm~ing the dozer <br />across the pile to cover the pile with dozer tracks with the cleat mazks on the contour. Then <br />2007 Annual Report 17 of 18 <br />