Project Details

This project will measure changes in groundwater-supported springs and streams, shallow groundwater, soil moisture, and upland and wet-meadow vegetation resulting from pinyon-juniper (P-J) treatments and a beaver dam analog project. Extensive P-J treatment projects conducted by federal, state, and private cooperators aim to increase sage grouse habitat and reduce wildfire risk. These projects focus on monitoring impacts on plant assemblages and sage grouse populations. Monitoring the effects of large-scale treatments on groundwater conditions may demonstrate additional environmental benefits that result from increased groundwater availability, such as increased spring flow to support wildlife and grazing or increased wetland and/or wet meadow habitat to support environmentally sensitive or conservation species.  The BDA monitoring project focuses on potential hydrologic changes associated with BDA implementation, particularly stream flow seasonal variations and bank storage, as well as sediment trapping.

Provide evidence about the nature of the problem and the need to address it. Identify the significance of the problem using a variety of data sources. For example, if a habitat restoration project is being proposed to benefit greater sage-grouse, describe the existing plant community characteristics that limit habitat value for greater sage-grouse and identify the changes needed for habitat improvement.

Provide an overall goal for the project and then provide clear, specific and measurable objectives (outcomes) to be accomplished by the proposed actions. If possible, tie to one or more of the public benefits UWRI is providing.

Studies in central Oregon (Deboodt et al., 2008) and central Nevada (Snyder, 2014; Carroll and others, 2017) demonstrated increased shallow-groundwater resources (spring flow, shallow groundwater levels, stream base flow) following P-J removal, whereas other studies in western states showed no measurable changes in stream flow (Kuhn and others, 2007). Considering the similarity (climatic, vegetation) of the Oregon and Nevada sites to the proposed study areas, however, we expect positive results. The potential risks are that we would not document changes above the resolution of measurement techniques, or that recent periods of abnormally high winter precipitation would mask increased recharge the treatments.

For the Vernon Creek BDA project, we hope to quantify changes in stream flow and bank storage (i.e., shallow groundwater levels in stream channel sediments) associated with ponding and increased sedimentation.  The main risk is that we may observe decreased summer flows for a year or two after BDA installation as the streambed aquifers fill.  However we expect to see less precipitous decrease in late season flows due to drainage of these same aquifers.

References
Carroll, R.W.H., Huntington, J.L., Snyder, K.A., Niswonger, R.G., Morton, C., and Stringham, T.K., 2017, Evaluating mountain meadow groundwater response to Pinyon-Juniper and temperature in a great basin watershed:  Ecohydrology, v. 10, DOI 10.1002/eco.1792.
Deboodt, T.L., et al., 2008, Monitoring hydrological changes related to western juniper removal: A paired watershed approach: Third Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds, p. 227-232.
Kuhn, T.J., et al., 2007, Juniper removal may not increase overall Klamath River Basin water yields: California Agriculture 61(4):166-171. DOI: 10.3733/ca.v061n04p166.
Snyder, K., 2014, Desatoya Mountains Project and the Porter Canyon Experimental Watershed: Online, <http://www.greatbasinlcc.org/webinar-series>.

LOCATION: Justify the proposed location of this project over other areas, include publicly scrutinized planning/recovery documents that list this area as a priority, remote sensing modeling that show this area is a good candidate for restoration, wildlife migration information and other data that help justify this project's location.

TIMING: Justify why this project should be implemented at this time. For example, Is the project area at risk of crossing an ecological or other threshold wherein future restoration would become more difficult, cost prohibitive, or even impossible.

List management plans where this project will address an objective or strategy in the plan. Describe how the project area overlaps the objective or strategy in the plan and the relevance of the project to the successful implementation of those plans. It is best to provide this information in a list format with the description immediately following the plan objective or strategy.

If applicable, detail how the proposed project will significantly reduce the risk of fuel loading and/or continuity of hazardous fuels including the use of fire-wise species in re-seeding operations. Describe the value of any features being protected by reducing the risk of fire. Values may include; communities at risk, permanent infrastructure, municipal watersheds, campgrounds, critical wildlife habitat, etc. Include the size of the area where fuels are being reduced and the distance from the feature(s) at risk.

We will monitor discharge of springs and streams, and shallow groundwater levels. Water quality will be monitored to identify possible changes in major-solute and stable-isotope composition related to increased recharge in the treatment areas. We will monitor for Selenium concentration in surface water in the Montezuma Creek tributaries study, because this area has a TMDL for Se.  We will monitor flow, temperature, turbidity, and chemical composition in Death Creek, which is tributary to Tanner Creek in the Sevier River management area (Utah DWQ).
This proposal covers labor and analyses associated with quarterly water-quality and stable-isotope sampling of (1) 5 springs, 8 piezometers, and one stream (Death Creek) in northwestern Tintic Valley; (2) 14 springs and 8 piezometers in the Grouse Creek Mountains, and (3) 9 piezometers, two streams (Coal Bed and Boulder Creeks), and one spring in the Montezuma Creek drainage.  Analyses include major solutes, total dissolved solids, and stable isotopes (2H and 18O abundance in water) for all sites, Se in the Montezuma Creek project area, and tritium (3H) at selected springs and piezometers.

For the Vernon Creek BDA project, an important issue is sediment trapping and resulting reduced sediment delivery to the downstream reservoir. We have not yet designed our sedimentation monitoring but that will be in place by spring 2020.  In our Tintic Valley study, we believe that grazing has the greatest impact on stream sediment load so do not expect to see a measurable effect from P-J treatment.

Describe how the project has the potential to improve water quality and/or increase water quantity, both over the short and long term. Address run-off, erosion, soil infiltration, and flooding, if applicable.

Description of efforts, both completed and planned, to bring the proposed action into compliance with any and all cultural resource, NEPA, ESA, etc. requirements. If compliance is not required enter "not applicable" and explain why not it is not required.

Describe the actions, activities, tasks to be implemented as part of the proposed project; how these activities will be carried out, equipment to be used, when, and by whom.

We will monitor spring flow, stream base flow, shallow groundwater, major solutes, Oxygen-18 and deuterium isotopes, soil moisture, weather (precipitation, temperature, snowpack), and aquatic and wet meadow vegetation in watersheds planned for treatment. Monitoring will begin 3 years before the treatments and continue for 5 years after. Establish response of groundwater and surface flow to climatic variations under current conditions, and determine changes (if any) following treatment. Coeval monitoring of nearby untreated areas will extend the record of groundwater response to climate variability.

For the Vernon Creek BDA project, we will monitor stream flow above and below two stream reaches - the upper reach is the control reach and will not have BDAs installed for several years.  The lower reach will have BDAs installed after one or two years of monitoring.  We have installed piezometers along both reaches adjacent to the stream to monitor changes in shallow groundwater levels.  Seasonal changes in both stream flow and shallow groundwater levels together will show the patterns of surface water-groundwater dynamics; we will look for changes in these patterns due to BDA installation.

Describe plans to monitor for project success and achievement of stated objectives. Include details on type of monitoring (vegetation, wildlife, etc.), schedule, assignments and how the results of these monitoring efforts will be reported and/or uploaded to this project page. If needed, upload detailed plans in the "attachments" section.

List any and all partners (agencies, organizations, NGO's, private landowners) that support the proposal and/or have been contacted and included in the planning and design of the proposed project. Describe efforts to gather input and include these agencies, landowners, permitees, sportsman groups, researchers, etc. that may be interested/affected by the proposed project. Partners do not have to provide funding or in-kind services to a project to be listed.

Detail future methods or techniques (including administrative actions) that will be implemented to help in accomplishing the stated objectives and to insure the long term success/stability of the proposed project. This may include: post-treatment grazing rest and/or management plans/changes, wildlife herd/species management plan changes, ranch plans, conservation easements or other permanent protection plans, resource management plans, forest plans, etc.

Potential for the proposed action to improve quality or quantity of sustainable uses such as grazing, timber harvest, biomass utilization, recreation, etc. Grazing improvements may include actions to improve forage availability and/or distribution of livestock.