Fishlake.Upper_UM.Beaver_Photo_Description.Oct

Upper UM Creek (Danish Meadows) ,Fishlake NF

Beaver Photo Descriptions

October 2005

Note: Blue = where photos start on a given creek examined for beavers

PLT = a plant put in the plant press for later identification

October 6-7, 2005 Fishlake NF	Location	GPS	Photo #	Photo description	Additional Comments
Danish Meadows on Upper UM Creek, is in the Loa Ranger District, Fishlake NF. This is a broad meadow which, until 2003, had been severely overgrazed. Since 2003, the meadow has been fenced to exclude livestock. This set of pictures shows a utilization cage (inside and outside) on the plateau to the east and above Danish Meadows; Danish Meadows (including a 2002 and 2005 photo in the same location0; and the boundary between inside and outside Danish Meadows at the southern end of the exclosure. Upper Danish Meadows is privately owned and grazed by cattle. While the meadow has regained much vegetation cover, it remains shallow rooted (grasses). Willows and other shrubs were virtually eliminated by livestock. Signs of beaver activity exist in the forest below Danish Meadows.
October 7, 2005	Hiking down to upper UM Creek from plateau above	0450613 4271327	2246	Utilization cage	Inside the cage: lupine, lots of mosses, squirrel tail, Koeleria, Potentilla, 2 spp. forbs Soil lower outside
			2247	Inside utilization cage
			2248	Outside utilization cage
			2249	Out the other side
			2250	The cage and outside
			2251	Moss inside the cage
	UPPER UM CREEK Forsyth Reservoir Quadrangle (Danish Meadows exclosure)	8,932’ 0450159 4271595	2252	UM Creek and old meanders
	Road down to UM Creek	8’774’ 0449881 4271698	2253	Erosion of road
	UPPER UM CREEK – Danish Meadows exclosure (cont.)	0449684 4271618	2254	UM Creek bank. Most willows are gone—won’t narrow until beaver (or a built dam) can trap sediment.
		0449684 4271618	2255	Clumps—left from grazing cattle in the meadow
		8,676’ 0449684 4271627	2256	Clumps
			2257	Clumps
			2258	Tiny willow on opposite bank
			2259	The type of bar willow could be planted on (or come in if there were seeds)	Elk print and scat
		8,666’ 0449708 4271553	2260	Grasses in absence of grazing	PLT: sedge
			Danish Meadows	October 8, 2003 photo of Danish Meadows sent by Dale Deiter. Exclosure was built in 2003.
		8,678’ 0449738 4271495	2261	Shallow rooting depth of vegetation that remains from when was grazed by livestock	To narrow this, need sediment—either grow out on the bar or willow
		8,678’ 0449738 4271495	2262	Sediment bar	Leave it alone—see what happens over next few years. Ask Dale Deiter re: temperature here, upstream in private land; downstream outside exclosure.
October 7, 2005	UPPER UM CREEK , inside and outside Danish Meadows exclosure	8,678’ 0449738 4271495	2263	Antennaria blooming. Private land visible upstream.	Cows upstream are in private land. If nothing grows on the bars, won’t get aggradation. Vegetation about 18” tall— Does Dale Deiter have any cross-sections? Photo points? Temperature—This is tricky because you would be picking up what’s upstream. Measuring how much sediment coming in vs. leaving? Cow patties in the meadow Plt: Agrostis? Dominant at lower end of exclosure. Osprey flying above wetland.
		8,678’ 0449738 4271495	2264	Grasses
			Danish Meadows Bare	Bare ground photographed in Danish Meadows; Forest Service photo October 8, 2003.
		8,671’ 0449967 4271312	2266	Photos at lower end of exclosure; heavy browsing outside exclosure on UM Creek compared to inside
			2267
			2268
			2269	Outside the exclosure, one small piece is not easily accessible to cattle.
			2270	Outside exclosure, note shallow rooting depth
	N&S side of UM Creek at exclosure		2271	ORV tracks	Wayne saw 1 fish in stream ~6”.
October 7, 2005	UPPER UM CREEK , below exclosure	0450018 4271223	2272	Inactive beaver dam below exclosure w/ willow in middle
		8,639’ 0450039 4271201	2273	Fresh chewing on aspen trunk
		0450017 4271137	2274	Fresh chewing on aspen trunk
			2275	Fresh chips below chewing
			2276	Old beaver chew of aspen	Katie saw an active dam & lodge further downstream
			2277	2005 photo recreating 2002 photo at So. lower end
			Danish Meadows.2002	2002 photo at so. lower end, same location as photo 2277 (Shell Consulting 2002)
		0449827 4271553	2278	Fence line looking no.
		0449854 4271671	2279	Erosion on alternate road up out of UM Creek
	Walking back up to the plateau	9,066’ 0451006 4270821	2280	Aspen regeneration where poles left down on the ground	Joe Ratcliff of Battle Mountain BLM hired Charles Kay. Wire around 1 or 2 clones and got lots of aspen
	FR 1509 above UM Creek.	8,996’ 0451857 4268057	2281	Aspen grove burned, but no suckers	Z native thistle, bluebunch wheatgrass, small Stipa, Chrysothamnus, squirrel tail, sagebrush burned out. Burn treatment?
	FR 1509 above UM Creek.	8,996’ 0451857 4268057	2282	Aspen grove burned, but no suckers

Reference:

Shell Consulting Company.2002. Fishlake National Forest 2002 Level II Riparian Inventory. UM Creek Watershed. Shell, WY.