Upper Sevier River
Community Watershed
Project
Annual Report
2003
Partnership Overview________
A
s the Upper Sevier River Community Watershed project enters its fifth year, our success is
measured by the continued committment of over 25 partners working towards large-scale accomplishments.
The Upper Sevier River Communty Watershed Project/Partnership is entering a new self-sustaining phase,
complete with the hiring of a new watershed/partnership coordinator. There is an attitude of “we’re in this together”
as all partners become “equals” at the table. Restoration work and projects are prioritized as a partnership and
resource skills shared across jurisdictional boundaries.
This project has demonstrated that building relationships
and sharing responsibility can help move the watershed
Coming together is a beginning,
community towards resolving resource issues at the
Keeping together is progress,
large-scale.
Working together is success”
--Henry Ford
The Upper Sevier River Watershed project has placed
continued focus on "keeping together" and developing
meaningful partnerships. Although much has been
accomplished , this upcoming year will be crucial as project partners begin implementing and "working together"
to complete those goals set forth in the Upper Sevier Watershed Management Plan.
The 1.2 million acre Upper Sevier River
Watershed boasts large-scale restoration work and projects, accomplished
by a multitude of partners working
across jurisdictional boundaries.
Watershed partners gather to view a current
project implemented within the watershed.
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Partnership Accomplishments
2003____________________
Major Accomplishments in 2003 Include:
Completion of Draft Watershed Management Plan - The Upper Sevier River Watershed Management
Plan was sent out for draft review in July 2003. Public meetings in early 2004 and further input from technical
advisory committee members will enable the completion of the plan by April 2004.
Hiring of Watershed Coordinator - A highlight for the Upper Sevier River Watershed was the hiring of a
coordinator. Wallace Dodds accepted the position in September, 2003 and will work locally to be a liaison between community partners and agency personnel.
On-the-ground accomplishments - After three years, the partnership has completed 60 percent of the
work identified in the business plan.
Some accomplishments include:
§
Improved 20 miles of riparian
Partners
habitat
have
§
Inventoried 25 miles of riverworked
ine valleys
together to
§
Improved 5,000 acres of wildimplement
life habitat
riparian im§
Stabilized 12 miles of stream
provement
channel
projects
§
Initiated new grazing practhroughout
tices with three livestock
much of the
permittees
watershed.
§
Treated 3,000 acres with prescribed fire adjacent to private
in-holdings
§
Treated 1,700 acres of noxious weeds
§
Burned 70,000 acres to meet ecological restoration goals
§
Sponsored workshops dealing with feedlot operations, riparian ecosystems, and livestock management
for ranchers and farmers
§
Continued development of community owned interactive website
§
Decomissioned 123 miles of road and closed 178 miles of road
§
Harvested 6 MMBF of timber
§
Monitored 500,000 acres of rangeland
...all ethics so far evolved rest on the single premise
that the individual is a member of a community of
interdependent parts...the land ethic simply enlarges
the boundaries of the community to include soils, water,
plants, and animals or collectively: the land"
Page 3
--Aldo Leopold
Sand County Almanac
Accomplishments___________
Partnership Focus:
Upper Sevier Community Trails Plan
T
hrough the National Park Service Rivers and Trails program, a technical assistance grant was obtained to
study the possibility of developing trails within the watershed, in and around the City of Panguitch. A trail
feasibility study was completed in October, 2002. What resulted was the "Upper Sevier River Trails Plan,"
that identified numerous potential routes, linking existing paths and establishing new paths. The system of trails will
provide safe routes for users of all ages and abilities, while showcasing the natural, cultural and historical features
of the area.
The committee's most current endeavor is to develop a nonmotorized trail from Little Dam to the Triple C Arena along Panguitch
Creek, in cooperation with the Garfield County Trails Committee.
Watersheds provide much more than
water - they provide the opportunity
for employment, recreation, solace and
scenic viewing.
--Watershed partner
Partnership Focus:
USU Experiment Farm
S
eventy five percent of the projects outlined
for the Utah State University Extension
Farm have been completed. This includes
the installation of a solar powered freeze proof
livestock watering system, irrigation overflow
conveyance system, and installation of two different types of nose pumps.
In addition, the farm has demonstrated bioengineering to local landowners, with the installation
of willow mattresses, conifer revetments, pole
By managing for the health fo the
land, you're going to have a much more
sustainable operation, and economics
with farmers is everything. It's just
a matter of time and finding money to
help them lay the ground.
--Kevin Heaton, USU Extension
Volunteers
help install
a fence
along a riparian area
at the USU
Experiment
Farm.
Page 4
plantings, vertical willow bundles and containerized plantings. Research plots with different
varieties of woody vegetation, including native
and introduced willows and riparian trees, will
help landowners see first-hand, the different effects of riparian improvement projects, and how
best to implement best management practices on
their own property.
The USU Experiment farm is one of only two
research facilities designed to study crop and
vegetation issues in areas with a short growing
season and/or at high elevations.
Accomplishments________
Partnership Focus:
US Forest Service - Access Management
T
he Dixie National Forest, in conjunction with local interests, began implementation of the
Duck Creek - Swains Access Management Project in September 2003. This motorized
travel system will ensure continued access to dispersed camping, firewood gathering and
picknicking sites and provide an imA well-developed travel/access
proved travel network. In turn, rerouting
management plan benefits everyone.
and decommissioning some roads will
Access to key areas will be afforded
help maintain forest vegetation, improve
via the trail system, and undesirable
watershed conditions, reduce wildlife
impacts to wildlife, vegetation and
habitat fragmentation and minimize conhydrology will be lessened.
flicts with other users.
As part of the project design, some roads will be decommissioned, while other new roads created,
with improved access to desired areas. Although the Duck Creek - Swains Access Management
project will be implemented over the next 5-7 years, already the obliteration of trails, access point
signage and vegetation rehabilitation have been effective in minimizing conflicts to resources,
while still meeting the needs of the public.
Much of the success of this project has been attributed to early
involvement of local publics. ATV access points and trail maps
will also be distributed in the near future to help users better
utilized designated routes.
Before, during, after (L-R).
Undesired routes are obliterated via heavy equipment.
Routes are then signed closed,
covered with debris, and
in some instances, physically closed with boulders and
fences to prevent future use.
Page 5
Accomplishments_________
Partnership Focus:
Cooperative/Landowner Projects - Sagebrush improvement
and riparian restoration.
P
rivate landowners, dedicated hunters and even students
and teachers have banded together to help improve
conditions within the watershed. Fourteen school
students helped plant 1300 willows and cottonwoods along
BLM property on the Sevier River, while other conservation
projects, including verticle bundle placement and conservation education, were accomplished with another 275 students.
Dedicated hunters have also
helped on different projects
throughout the watershed,
while private landowners, have helped reseed
sagebrush/grassland areas
to improve rangeland conditions and conducted riparian
habitat improvement projects
on federal, state and private
property.
A willow mattress, planted
Spring 2003 (top) succeeded in stabilizing banks
along the Upper Sevier
River. Grasses, sedges and
willow regrowth are already apparent in this September 2004 photo (right).
Partnership Focus:
BLM - Pinyon/Juniper Thinning
T
he BLM’s new mobile chipper/shredder (better known as “The bullhog”) can reduce anything in its’
path to shreds in a matter of minutes. The bullhog can treat up to 30 acres per day, reduce trees quickly
to ground level (without disturbing root material) and can do it all with very little soil compaction. The
downed material is shredded into mulch that rapidly biodegrades. In addition, materials left on the ground,
help reduce soil erosion, keep nutrients in place, protect
seedlings and increase soil fertility.
This new tool has become
an "active participant" in the
Upper Sevier River Watershed
Management Program.
--Bureau of Land Management
will enhance mule deer and sage grouse
habitat. In addition, the bullhog helps reduce
hazardous fuel loads, decreases pinyon-juniper
encroachment into areas historically dominated
by big sagebrush, and improves the health of
sagebrush/grasslands by increasing biological
diversity and age classes of vegetation.
Treatments have begun in areas within the Upper Sevier
Watershed, and will continue over the next 5 years.
Already over 800 acres have been treated in the South
Canyon area of the watershed. This and future projects
The BLM"s new
brush cutter reduces wood and
brush quickly
and safely by
cutting it to
ground level.
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Accomplishments_________
Watershed Focus:
Watershed Coordinator - Wallace Dodds
O
ne of the highlights of the Upper Sevier Community Watershed project is the hiring of a
watershed coordinator. Wallace Dodds began work full-time in August and will ensure watershed
restoration efforts continue into the future.
Watershed Coordinator Wallace
Dodds looks forward to working
with local landowners and agency
personnel to help
secure funding for
the Upper Sevier
River Watershed.
Wallace (Wally to those that know him) is a life-long
resident of Panguitch, Utah and Garfield County and
has first-hand experience with the watershed.
“As a private landowner, I understand sustainable
resource conservation, as well as those concerns
of private individuals, striving to maintain a rural
lifestyle,” said Dodds.
Housed in the Garfield County Offices, Dodds will act
as a liaison between state, federal and local agencies, as
well as private landowners and local groups. Already
Dodds has stepped forward to help complete the Upper Sevier River Watershed Management Plan and to
conduct local on-the-ground projects.
“One of my primary goals in this job is
to obtain funding for conservation and
restoration projects, especially those that
provide incentives to private landowner
and other local partners that would like
to jump on board,” said Dodds. “On the
ground projects will be the greatest factor
influencing water quality in future years.”
I am excited about the opportunity to
not only work with local partners, but also
to see the Upper Sevier River Watershed
improved, so that future generations may
utilize and enjoy its resources.
--Wallace Dodds
As for the future of the watershed, Dodds sees a time in the near future when the watershed is truly
multiple use, where people fish, swim, hunt, farm, ranch and live.
“One of my greatest concerns for the watershed is that we get the Sevier River off the impaired water
listing, which will only happen through participation of all our partners. It is crucial that we keep
restoration a voluntary
process, so that partners
Dodds has reremain proactive in their
cently received
approach to watershed,
funding for an
rather than reactive to federal
improvement
regulations and mandates”
on his own
Upper Sevier
Dodds will continue to be
River property
on-hand to provide guidance
and has shared
to those partners within the
first-hand
Upper Sevier Watershed.
knowledge
He can be contacted at
with local
435-676-1155 or email:
ranchers and
dodds@scinternet.net.
farmers.
Page 7
Future Actions & Opportunities
TMDL Implementation/Water Quality
I
n cooperation with the Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project, the Division of Water Quality
has developed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies for several waterbodies in the watershed.
These include Panguitch Lake, Navajo Lake, and the mainstem of the Upper Sevier River (including
Mammoth Creek). In addition, the Division is also working on TMDLs for the Lower East Fork Sevier River
including Otter Creek, Koosharem, and Lower Box Creek Reservoirs, due to be completed in the summer of
2004.
The Panguitch Lake TMDL addresses excessive phosphorus in the reservoir and focuses on chemical treatment
of the reservoir to reduce the loading from phosphorus-rich sediments in the lake bottom. The Navajo Lake
TMDL summarizes the conditions which have lead to low dissolved oxygen and winter fish kills, and advises
that the lake be taken off the 303d list for TMDL development due to natural physical conditions which have
lead to periods of low dissolved oxygen.
TMDLs for the Upper Sevier River and Mammoth
Creek (4 river segments in all) address the sources
of total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids
(TSS) or sediment in conjunction with habitat
alteration of the stream channel and riparian
corridor. In cooperation with a number of agencies
and landowners, a stream survey using the Stream
Visual Assessment Protocol (SVAP) was completed
along 60 stream miles (see photo). The results of
this survey have provided valuable estimates of
stream bank erosion, habitat condition, and potential
restoration activities suitable for each stream reach.
Numerous projects are scheduled for implementation
over the next 5 years.
Many
upcoming
projects
within the
watershed will
utilize the
results
of recent
TMDL
studies.
Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Plan Revision
A
lready state and federal governments
have expressed interest in furthering the
information contained within the Upper
Sevier Watershed Management Plan to help develop
various agency documents.
Partners within the watershed have taken an active
role in Forest Plan revision, by working with agency
personnel and participating in focus groups with
such diverse topics as access management, dispersed
Topical work
groups,
composed
of members
with local interests, help
guide plan
revision.
People within the Upper Sevier
River Watershed are making valuable
contributions to forest plan revision.
Their involvement has given us inportant
information for revising the Forest Plan.
--Kenton Call, Forest Plan Revision, Public
Affairs Officer
recreation suitability, Off-Highway Vehicle
Recreation suitability, timberland suitability,
rangeland suitability and wilderness area
recommendations.
The Forest Service expects to release a draft plan
this Fall, while Bureau of Land Management will
begin their plan revision process sometime this
next Summer.
Page 8
Partnership Budget_______
FY2003
Bureau of Land
Management
12% ($250k)
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
11% ($225k)
T
Division of
Environmental
Quality-Division of
Water Quality
5% ($100k)
Division of Wildlife
Resources
5% ($100k)
Utah Association of
Conservation Districts
2% ($50k)
Private Landowners
4% ($75k)
Forest Service
61% ($1.3m)
he Upper
Sevier River Watershed received over $2.6
million dollars
in funding during 2003. The
Forest Service
continued to
take a lead role
in implementing
on-the-ground
restoration for
the Upper Sevier River Watershed.
The watershed continues to evolve, with more partners
sharing the financial committment to watershed restoration.
T
he Upper
Sevier River
Watershed anticipates revenue of
approximately $2.1
million dollars
during FY2004.
The Forest Service
still plays a significant role as a
partner within the
watershed; however their financial
role is now becoming more in line
with other partner's
committments.
FY2004
Bureau of Land
Management
14% ($350k)
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
9% ($225k)
Utah Association of
Conservation
Districts
2%($50k)
Division of
Environmental
Quality-Division of
Water Quality
4% ($100k)
Division of Wildlife
Resources
4% ($100k)
Private Landowners
2% ($50k)
Forest Service
65% ($1.7m)
Page 9
Partnership Contacts_____
Wally Dodds, Watershed
Coordinator
P.O. Box 77
Panguitch, UT 84759
dodds@scinternet.net
435-676-1155
T
Allen Henrie, Steering
Committee Chairman
25 S. 200 East
Panguitch, UT 84759
435-676-8585
Collaboration
he Upper Sevier River Community Watershed Project owes its
success to its partners, who have worked together to improve the
watershed. Partners to date include:
Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality
Utah Association of Conservation Districts
Department of Environmental Quality
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Upper Sevier Soil Conservation and Development Council
USDA Forest Service Dixie National Forest
Color Country Resource Conservation and Development Council
State of Utah Institutional Trust Lands Appropriation
Farm Service Agency
Utah State University Extension
USDA Forest Service
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Jack H. Berryman Institute
Paiute Tribe of Utah
State of Utah Division of Foresty, Fire and State Lands
Bureau of Land Management
National Park Service
Southern Utah University
Panguitch City
Garfield County
Garfield County School District
Private Landowners
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