# Presentation: 333965

## Monitoring Riparian Grazing Use

**Notes:**
Samplers using a 6-foot pole to measure woody species regeneration along the greenline.

## Why Do We Monitor?

- To provide accountability for our actions.
- To provide feed back on results.
- To aid in our decision making

- What Should We Monitor?

- Goals and Objectives

## Types of Monitoring

- Annual:
- Actual use.
- Grazing intensity.
- Plant recovery.
- Short-term (3-5 years):
- Point-bars.
- Channel width.
- Over-hanging vegetation.
- Changes in plant vigor.
- Long-term :
- Channel and bank conditions.
- Plant community changes.

## Annual Monitoring

- Examples of Annual Grazing Use that should be observed and recorded.

## Are livestock in the pasture when planned?

- Are the correct numbers present?

**Notes:**

Is there the agreed upon number of livestock?
Are livestock in the pasture when planned?

- Did the livestock utilize the forage properly?

**Notes:**
  Did the livestock use the forage to the proper level?

## Did you clean the pasture?

**Notes:**
Did you clean the pasture....and keep it clean?
Does this look like a healthy riparian area?

## What were the impacts of the grazing use?

**Notes:**
Trampling impact on streambank will vary depending upon soil types and vegetation types and amounts of vegetation present.

## Was there bank displacement?

## Determine amount of use

**Notes:**
determine % utilization (amount removed)

## Leave a 4” stubble height on large sedges

- Observe stubble height-4”

**Notes:**
A good general starting point for using stubble height on big, wide bladed sedges is 4”

## Document regrowth of sedges-6”

**Notes:**
Stubble Height
Reverse of utilization - What is left versus what is grazed
Easier to see what is left
Need to account for regrowth 
Measure Key species (usu. 2 or 3) e.g. Nebraska sedge
What happened to plant by the time it is done growing
4-6” on greenline needed to protect streambank.

## Side (edge) browsing

-  - Booth willow

**Notes:**
Side (Edge) Browsing – Booth Willow

Willow Component:

Critical to monitor little, young plants – must allow them to mature over time.
Mature plants already stable and less vulnerable.

## Short Term Monitoring

- The following are examples of typical responses that can be used as indicators of progress towards desired conditions.
- These are often useful for short term (2-5 years) monitoring following implementation of improved grazing practices.

**Notes:**
Normally, you can expect these indicators (some or all) to begin to 
Show up during the first cycle of the grazing program.
The appearance of these indicators will be influenced by the interaction
Of both climate and diligence of the operator.

## Slide 15

**Notes:**
Watch to see if the point bars begin to vegetate.

## Brookgrass acts as a 

- Brookgrass acts as a
- temporary filter.

**Notes:**
A typical colonizing species (brookgrass – Catabrosia aquatica) forming a temporary filtering community type along the greenline.

## Slide 17

**Notes:**
Does the overall appearance of the riparian area, both streambanks and adjacent areas,
Look healthy and vigorous?

## Slide 18

**Notes:**
Sedges have become established on the point bars and they are 
Vigorous.

## Slide 19

**Notes:**
Are desirable plants beginning to become established?

## Slide 20

**Notes:**
Are willows beginning to exhibit linear growth form?

## Slide 21

**Notes:**
Here is an example of coyote willow and sedges recovering from
Earlier defoliation Note the growth form and vigor evident in these plants.

## Slide 22

**Notes:**
Is the stream channel wide and shallow, with damaged banks...

## Slide 23

**Notes:**
Or has the channel narrowed, gotten deeper? 
Note the overhanging sedges on the banks.

## Long Term Monitoring

- Document streambank stability and channel improvement
- Measure and document plant community changes
- Greenline Composition
- Vegetation Cross-Section Composition
- Woody species Regeneration

## Slide 25

**Notes:**
A portion of Nebraska sedge (Carex nebraskensis), an important stabilizing greenline species.  Note its extensive, strong roots, crown, and leaves.

## Young Salix drumondiana

**Notes:**
Young Drummond Willow (Salix drummondiana)

## Mixed roots, 

- Mixed roots,
- sedge/coyote willow

**Notes:**
Mixed roots – sedge/coyote willow among the strongest combinations available.

## Slide 28

**Notes:**
Is the vegetation healthy and strong enough to resist high flows?

**Notes:**
Note the clarity of the water even during a high flow event. This indicates that both the uplands and riparian areas are well vegetated and resistant to soil loss.

## Geyer’s & Booth Willows - Stabilizers

**Notes:**
Geyer’s and booth Willows – Stabilizers.

## Slide 31

**Notes:**
Example of two riparian complexes:  

Complex A – Narrowleaf cottonwood/Kentucky bluegrass, Haploboroll, moderate gradient, narrow valley bottom, 
Complex B – Coyote willow/Kentucky bluegrass, Cryaquoll, low gradient, broad valley bottom.

## Greenline of non-hydrophytic plant species.

**Notes:**
Example of a greenline dominated by non-hydrophytic plant species.  

Note the excessive streambank erosion on portions of this bank due to dominance of shallow-rooted species.
Greenline composition sampling method will measure and record relative abundance of differing plant communities
That occur along the greenline of the stream.

## Good willow/sedges, Montpelier Creek, ID

**Notes:**
Good willows/sedges, Montpelier Creek, ID
After a number of years, usually following the first grazing rotation cycle, the procedure can be repeated and 
Changes in plant community distribution can be documented.

## Slide 34

**Notes:**
Cross-section transect:

It may become difficult to identify, specifically, where certain community type boundaries occur.  It often is helpful to look several feet on each side of the line that one is traversing to better select where a boundary occurs on the line.  This is especially critical where one of the community types has a relatively sparse component in the overstory, for example, willows, shrubby cinquefoil, or silver sage.

## Damage & Natural erosion, 7-Mile Creek, Fishlake NF

**Notes:**
Induced + Natural Erosion, 7-Mile Creek, Fishlake NF

## Stream Meander

**Notes:**
Vegetation Cross Section:

Number of steps of each key community type makes up community type composition for entire riparian area.
Generally recommend a minimum of 5 cross sections in an ecological site (riparian complex).

## Slide 37

**Notes:**
Samplers using a 6-foot pole to measure woody species regeneration along the greenline.

## Slide 38

**Notes:**
Correct placement of the sampling pole along the greenline water interface.

## West Muddy Creek, Mule Park, Gunnison NF

**1949**

**2000**

**Notes:**
Long-term photo monitoring is invaluable for documentation of progress.

## Slide 40

**Notes:**
Remember that not all riparian areas are located along streams.

## Mule Park      West Muddy Creek   7/8/1954 Allotment grazed season-long by 219 cow/calf pairs from June 24 to October 15.   Precip. – 60%

**Mule Park      West Muddy Creek   7/8/1954** Allotment grazed season-long by 219 cow/calf pairs from June 24 to October 15.   Precip. – 60%

**Notes:**
It is particularly important to record information to support photos.

## Mule Park      West Muddy Creek   7/28/1998 (84%). Allotment managed using a 4-pasture grazing strategy by 700 yearlings from July 5 to October 5. 

**Notes:**
Documenting the dramatic changes in this riparian area is enhanced by noting that 
The changes occurred concurrent with ongoing grazing use.