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It has pretty much been decided that the Coal Creek drainage will have a future that focuses <br />on water resource development in the tributaries and eventual recreational use. It is felt that grazing <br />is incompatible with these uses as the water resource development would be for domestic uses and <br />mixing cattle grazing and recreational uses on the prairie is usually a bad idea that makes visitors <br />uncomfortable. <br />In effect, it is expected that any future utilization of the riparian corridor along Coal Creek <br />will be by wildlife alone. For now, though, the exclosure fences will remain in place. Based on scat <br />evidence, deer and pronghorn do utilize the vegetation in the exclosures to some extent, but that <br />utilization is far less than occurs outside the exclosures. With good growth outside the exclosures <br />there is little point in jumping a fence (deer) or crawling under a fence (pronghorn) to access rich <br />growth inside the exclosure. That is just too much work for no real benefit. <br />Results of Stream Realignment and Low Water Crossing Installation <br />The photographs on the next pages show that vegetation development in this area continues <br />at a good pace. The vegetation is acquiring a more natural pattern of growth and is continuing to <br />expand into previously weak growth locations. Cottonwood has heavily invaded the upper reaches <br />and appears to be slowly migrating downstream. No problems have been noted in this area with <br />uncontrolled erosion. That said, there wasn't very much flow this year either so erosion would not be <br />expected. This is advantageous in that the vegetation can continue to grow and expand so when <br />strong flows do occur there will be some protection. <br />2008 Annual Report Coal Creek Wetland Mitigation Permit DA 198811488 Page 3