The establishment of tamarisk and other non-native invasive plants along the Dolores River during the 20th century negatively impacted riparian and aquatic habitats. Dense stands of tamarisk displaced native plants, degraded wildlife habitat, reduced livestock forage, limited human access to the river, interfered with the natural fluvial processes of the river, and increased the risk of severe wildfires. The impacts of tamarisk on aquatic habitats are sometimes not fully recognized, but tamarisk tends to eliminate side channel and backwater habitats that provide critical spawning and nursery habitat for native fish by trapping sediments, reduce habitat complexity in stream channels in a manner that negatively impacts rare native fishes, and reduce the input of key nutrients that support aquatic food webs (Graf 1978, Geological Society of American Bulletin 89:1149-1501; Bailey et al. 2001, Wetlands 21:442-447; Keller et al. 2014, Environmental Management 54:465-478). Inventory and monitoring of riparian habitats by the Tamarisk Coalition and the University of Denver revealed a pattern of establishment and spread of very dense stands of tamarisk accompanied by the displacement of diverse native plant communities along major stretches of the Dolores River. Beginning in 2009, the Dolores River Restoration Partnership (DRRP), which includes participants from a variety of public and private organizations (including four BLM field offices in Utah and Colorado), identified and began treating over 1,900 acres of impacted riparian habitat dominated by tamarisk and other invasive plants in an effort to restore native vegetation and improve the quality of riparian and riverine habitats. The proposed project is needed to complete the initial removal of tamarisk at seven new sites; continue woody invasive initial removal at two sites including the inundated side channel portion of the berm site that provides important habitat for juvenile native fish; to manage three previously treated areas in need of follow-up weed/resprout treatments; collect and grow-out native plants Robert's Bottom for future planting, install 3 hydrologic monitoring wells in the location of the historic main channel at Robert's Bottom to determine the feasibility of future cottonwood planting. One area where initial tamarisk removal will occur is at the berm site at stateline between mile 150-151. The likely flowpath of the newly reconnected side channel has been estimated using historic imagery and on-site evaluation. Final removal of tamarisk and Russian olive in this portion of that site will be completed this year to allow the side channel to flow freely. Initial removal will also begin across from the berm site on river right and will focus on removing ladder fuels and competition adjacent to native cottonwoods stands. In the Beaver Creek to Rio Mesa reach (river mile 155-160), 4 sites have been prioritized for initial removal efforts and two sites from 2017 will be evaluated and treated for resprouts. One site is at the juncture of Granite Creek with the Dolores River. Located on BLM lands on river-right (river mile 159-160), this proposed work builds off a previous WRI-funded project. Establishment of tamarisk in this area has altered fluvial processes and increased rates of sedimentation, leading to the loss of the side channel, which historically served as important spawning and juvenile habitats for sensitive and endangered fishes. Impacts to riparian vegetation and wildlife have been equally significant. Many of these areas have adequate cover of native species and are expected to recover through passive regeneration. Several of these sites can only be accessed by raft during high water which coincides with the presence of Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. Similar to our 2017 campaign, a bird biologist will need to assess bird occupancy ahead of the raft crews. Three "contingency" units have been identified in the Rio Mesa to the Colorado River Confluence reach between river mile 163-165. If the upstream raft units can't be treated because of the presence of SWFL then work will be initiated on these sites. Also in this reach, the Grand County Weeds Department will use their weed raft to address knapweed within the riparian zone. Initial removal of tamarisk will be completed on the BLM portion of Lake Bottom and initial removal will begin across from Lake Bottom focusing on clearing out ladder fuels and competition from underneath a large cottonwood gallery. Reduction of tamarisk re-sprouts and herbaceous weeds such as Russian knapweed will occur on the private lands at Lake Bottom. These follow-up treatments are important management tools to help restore native riparian vegetation as a means of improving fluvial processes, increasing the quality of riparian vegetation for wildlife and livestock, and reducing fire danger. At Robert's Bottom, seed from naturally occurring grasses and forbs, not available commercially, will be collected and grown out for future planting in WRI fiscal year 2020. The Grand County Weeds Department will spray kochia and knapweed in this area to prep the location for future revegetation work. Additionally, the historic main channel used to flow through a portion of Robert's Bottom as seen in historic imagery. Through the past installation of hydrologic monitoring wells by the BLM Hydrology Specialist, it has been determined that the water table is high enough to support cottonwood plantings. However, soil texture and salinity are unknown and are potentially significant factors in the success of a cottonwood planting. These variables will be quantified using composite soil samples taken from three locations. If the texture and salinity are favorable, cottonwood deep plantings will be proposed in WRI fiscal year 2019-2020.

The overall objective of this project is to restore riparian habitats along the Dolores River to a more diverse, functional, self-sustaining, and resilient condition. Progress will be assessed based on DRRP's long-term ecological objectives: reducing live tamarisk to less than 5 percent of the vegetation cover; reducing other invasive, non-native plants to less than 15 percent of the vegetation cover; maintaining total vegetation cover equal to or greater than 30 percent; and documenting passive recruitment of native plants towards species-specific thresholds in the riparian corridor.

A variety of threats that have degraded riparian habitat along the Dolores River in Utah will be addressed with this proposed work. Motorized forms of recreation (6.1.1) have damaged native plant communities and spread noxious weeds at the Stateline and Roberts Bottom sites. Dense stands of tamarisk have increased fuel loads (7.1.1) and, with their deep root systems, altered the sediment transport balance (7.2.11) and simplified riverine habitat (7.3.3) along vast stretches of the twenty-two miles of the Dolores River's course in eastern Utah. Many of these stretches are also dominated by a suite of invasive, non-native plants (8.1.2) that accompany tamarisk, such as Russian knapweed and kochia. By improving the diversity and health of the plant community in the historic floodplain, habitat improvements support aquatic species (e.g. better nutrient inputs and increased habitat diversity for desert fish), riparian species (e.g. enhanced cover and food for migrating southwestern willow flycatchers), and upland species (e.g. forbs in the upper river terraces for big-horn sheep). Currently, the biggest risk is not building on past investments effectively to restore native plant communities to a healthier, increasingly self-sustaining level. In the areas proposed within this project, invasive plant densities are yet reduced to a level of low-intensity maintenance; failure to build on past work in these areas in a timely manner will detract from previous restoration efforts and increase costs down the road for improving habitat and reducing fuel loads.

(1) The Moab Field Office's Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (PISMP) uses an integrated pest management approach to eradicate, contain, control, and prevent targeted weeds within the MFO. The desired goal is to contain or control the spread of invasive species, and eradicate species that pose the greatest threat to the biological diversity within the MFO, and prevent any new weeds from becoming established by utilizing a wide range of treatment options (i.e. mechanical, manual, herbicide, etc.). The resulting pro-active management of these plants would promote the areas ecosystem health and promote diverse native communities by maintaining and improving native forbs and grass species, increasing the regeneration of native cottonwoods and willows in riparian corridors, and ultimately preventing the loss of wildlife habitat, species diversity, and wildfire risk. (2) Moab BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) prioritizes management of riparian vegetation and emphasizes the control of noxious weeds, prevention of the spread of invasive species, and restoration of vegetated areas. Reduction of tamarisk and restoration of native riparian vegetation addresses management objectives for improving the quality and health of riparian habitats while improving the quality of resources used in recreation and reducing fuels in a manner that decreases the likelihood and severity of wildfires. Specific management decisions in the RMP that are directly related to the primary objectives of the proposed project include RIP-9, which calls for restoring riparian vegetation "through biological, chemical, mechanical, and manual methods (e.g., tamarisk control, willow plantings)," and RIP-16, which calls for implementation of strategies to "restore degraded riparian communities" and "protect natural flow regimes." (3) The project addresses goals and objectives of the BLM Utah Riparian Policy, which states that "riparian areas are to be improved at every opportunity." (4) The Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) for the State of Utah identifies lowland riparian habitat as being highest priority for conservation and restoration. UDWR has designated segments of the Dolores River corridor as "essential habitat" due to its cottonwood gallery, high avian biodiversity, importance as turkey habitat and deer winter range, importance to breeding and overwintering waterfowl, and use by bald eagles and peregrine falcons. (5) The Range-wide Conservation Agreement and Strategy for Roundtail Chub Gila robusta, Bluehead Sucker Catostomus discobolus, and Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnes (UDWR Publication 06-18) includes an objective of enhancing and maintaining habitat for each of the three species. Tamarisk removal has been an important component of this effort in other parts of Utah. All three of the "three species" are present in the Dolores River. (6) The proposed project supports the goals of DRRP's 2010 Dolores River Riparian Action Plan and 2015 DRRP Transition Plan for Monitoring and Maintenance, which outline restoration goals, objectives, and methods for restoring and managing 175 miles of the Dolores River from McPhee Reservoir in Colorado to the confluence with the Colorado River in Utah. (7) The Utah Mule Deer Statewide Management Plan calls for an emphasis on improving riparian habitat and use of seed mixes that include sufficient forbs and browse species (Habitat Objective 2). (8) Pursuant to the Utah Noxious Weed Act, Section 7, to every person who owns or controls lands in Grand County, Utah, that noxious weeds standing, being, or growing on such land shall be controlled and the spread of same prevented by effective cutting, tillage, cropping, pasturing, or treating with chemicals or other methods, or combination methods, or combination thereof, approved by the County Weed Supervisor, as often as may be required to prevent the weed from blooming and maturing seeds, or spreading by root, root stalks or other means. Listed species that DRRP will manage include hoary cress, tamarisk, Russian knapweed, and Russian olive. (9) Middle Colorado River Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area Cooperative Agreement - partnering organizations working along the Dolores River work towards the CWMA's goal "to promote an integrated weed management program throughout the MCRW-CWMA that includes public relations, education and training in the non-native invasive weed arena as well as inventory, monitoring, controlling and preventing the spread of non-native invasive weeds, sharing of resources, and designing other desirable resource protection measures relative to weed management." (10) Department of the Interior's Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes Program: The Wildland Fire Resilient Landscape (WFRL) program is a new approach to achieve fire resiliency goals across landscapes with collaborative efforts, as defined by the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and in support of Secretarial Order 3336 -- Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management, and Suppression. The DRRP project area is one of the prioritized landscapes of this national program and has supported restoration work in CO & UT to improve fire resiliency through the reduction of tamarisk fuels and riparian restoration. (11) BLM Healthy Lands Initiative: The DRRP project area has been identified as a focal area of this vegetation-resources enhancement initiative to restore and improve the health and productivity of western public lands. The Healthy Lands strategy increases the effectiveness and efficiency of vegetation enhancement treatments by focusing on treatments on a significant percentage of lands -- both Federal and non-Federal -- within six geographic locations, rather than focusing on the local project level. The strategy increases opportunities to leverage cooperative solutions across ownership's and jurisdictions. (12) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Utah Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Strategic Plan: This project falls within a priority area, priority habitat (riparian), and addresses threats to priority species (SWFL and YBCU).

Establishment of dense stands of dead/dying tamarisk greatly increases the likelihood of destructive wildfires, especially in the vicinity of campsites and other locations of concentrated human activity. A major benefit from this project will be the reduction of an unnaturally high fire risk by clearing tamarisk away from campsites and from thinning tamarisk in a manner that creates fire breaks and allows native vegetation to recolonize. Russian knapweed can increase in biomass and ground cover after a fire because of it's adaptations to disturbance and knapweed growing points are below ground. A wildfire in this are without treatment would further spread noxious knapweed.

Large-scale tamarisk removal has the potential to improve water quality by reducing salinity levels of soils in riparian habitats. In addition, tamarisk tends to have higher rates of evapotranspiration than the native upland plants that it tends to displace from floodplain habitats, and Russian knapweed has especially high rates of evapotranspiration.

The project will be tiered to the BLM Moab Field Office Programmatic Invasive Species Management Plan (2016) and will conform to its stipulations and restrictions. Consultation with BLM archaeologists has already occurred. The BLM Moab Pesticide Use Plan has also been approved for the Dolores. 107 Consultation occurred with the USFWS and wildlife surveys will be conducted prior to any spring work or work will commence after nesting season.

Sites have been selected based on DRRP's prioritization criteria that consider ecological, social, and feasibility factors. Initial tamarisk removal will be conducted by Conservation Corps crews using a cut-stump method. After cutting tamarisk trees with chainsaws, crews will apply herbicide (Triclopyr) to the freshly cut tamarisk stumps during the fall (September - early November) of 2017. A mosaic treatments consisting of the removal of 30-50% of the tamarisk biomass will be applied. The mosaic treatment of tamarisk will be implemented as a way of reducing tamarisk density while maintaining the degree of soil stability and partially shaded micro-climates necessary to provide conditions beneficial to riparian wildlife and native plants. This strategy, which incorporates the presence of the tamarisk-leaf beetle (a biological control agent), is expected to reduce tamarisk densities in a manner that allows native trees, shrubs, perennial grasses, and herbaceous vegetation to become reestablished. Results from a 2010-2014 DRRP pilot study conducted upriver in the Uncompahgre BLM Field office support using this site-specific integrated-pest management strategy. Tamarisk re-sprouts will be treated in several ways, depending on time of year, labor source, and size of re-sprouts: students will use handsaws and loppers to treat re-sprouts at the Rio Mesa Center, while the Grand County Weed Department and Conservation Corps crews will conduct basal bark and foliar treatments. Russian knapweed will be treated chemically by the Grand County Weed Department during the fall season. Seeding will be conducted in targeted sites (e.g. where there is bare soil, in tamarisk slash piles, and in kochia infestations) to impede re-encroachment of invasive plants as well as to improve forage for livestock and habitat for wildlife. Species have been selected based on successes of previous re-vegetation efforts along the Dolores River and on recommendations from UT-DWR during last year's WRI comment period. Active re-vegetation (e.g. species, micro-site selection, & planting methods) will be based on lessons learned and shared during past DRRP Implementation Subcommittee meetings. The project will support the creation of the Bridge Canyon Interpretive Loop Trail at University of Utah's Rio Mesa educational facility on the Dolores River. The interpretive trail, to be constructed by Rio Mesa volunteers and Conservation Corps, will feature interpretive signage that educates users about the project, natural features in the area, and recommended conservation measures. The effort will utilize existing designs already vetted by Dolores River Restoration Partnership leadership, and will occur wholly within Rio Mesa property.

Coordinated by the DRRP Science & Monitoring Subcommittee, long-term monitoring of vegetation, riparian condition, and breeding birds will be conducted at treatment sites to assess the effectiveness of the treatments and to guide future management efforts. Monitoring surveys will be conducted prior to the treatments, shortly after the treatments, and on an annual basis for several years after the treatments. In addition, photo points will be established to document long-term vegetative and floodplain trends. Data gathered will be available to upload into the WRI database for future analysis and review. BLM Staff will be onsite at the beginning, during critical stages of the project, and near completion to ensure desirable results. Partners will be invited to do onsite visits as well to ensure increased input and share concerns. Partners from UT Division of Wildlife Resources and Colorado Parks and Wildlife will monitor the use of side-channel habitat by native fish species to evaluate success towards creating backwater habitat for juvenile fish, while partners from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies will continue long-term monitoring of how restoration work impacts avian communities via the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions program. To monitor the riparian plant community, Southwest Conservation Corps technicians will conduct the annual rapid monitoring program to take ocular estimates (i.e. using cover classes to assess cover of native and non-native plant communities) and take photo-points.

In 2015, thirty local, state, federal, and private organizations signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to protecting and building on shared investments in collaborative restoration of the Dolores River through 2020. Nine of these partners will play active roles in this proposed project: Tamarisk Coalition: as chair of the DRRP Implementation Subcommittee and DRRP Science and Monitoring Subcommittee, this non-profit organization works with partners to plan, execute, and monitor restoration work across public and private boundaries throughout the partnership's project area. Grand County Weed Department: this local agency conducts re-treatments of tamarisk and herbaceous weeds, as well as provides technical assistance (e.g. sharing findings from biological control monitoring) to inform restoration work. University of Utah Rio Mesa Center: the University works with student groups to foster education, research, stewardship, and restoration along the Center's portion of the Dolores River in the Utah Bottoms. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources: this state agency provides technical assistance to DRRP (e.g. surveying for side-channel project) and monitors the avian community along the UT-portion of the Dolores River to increase understanding of how restoration affects bird species. US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program: this federal program works with a private landowner in Lake Bottom, supports the Rio Mesa Center (until recently, located on private lands), and provides technical support that informs DRRP's restoration strategies. Canyon Country Youth Corps: a program of the Four Corners School of Outdoor Education, CCYC hires and trains young adults to implement restoration work, including installation and repair of fencing, tamarisk control, and active re-vegetation of native plant species along the Dolores River. Conservation Legacy's Southwest Conservation Corps: working with CCYC and Western Colorado Conservation Corps, SCC hires and trains young adults to implement restoration work, including tamarisk control, active re-vegetation of native plant species, and monitoring of restoration projects. Western Colorado Conservation Corps: working with the other two Corps programs, this non-profit organization hires and trains young adults to implement restoration work, including tamarisk control and treatment of Russian knapweed and hoary cress. National Wild Turkey Federation: provides funding and in-kind support to foster stewardship and active re-vegetation along the Dolores River. While the Moab BLM is submitting this WRI proposal, it is worth noting that three other BLM field offices (Tres Rios, Uncompahgre, and Grand Junction in CO), two state BLM offices (UT & CO), two district BLM offices (UT-Canyon Country & CO-Northwest), and the national office are all engaged partners, providing in-kind and/or financial support towards achieving the DRRP's shared ecological, social, economic, and management goals.

The project is part of a multi-year effort that will involve follow-up monitoring, active re-vegatation, and treatments to control remaining infestations of priority non-native, invasive plant species such as tamarisk, Russian olive, Russian knapweed, and hoary cress. Some temporary fence has already been constructed along the Dolores River where knapweed is common to assist with the treatment areas to lessen livestock presence while native plants establish. The long-term goal is to restore riparian and floodplain habitats along the lower Dolores River in a manner that creates diverse riparian communities comprised primarily of native plant species as a means of improving the condition and resiliency of riparian and aquatic habitats. This will require an adaptive management approach. Long-term, adaptive management strategies have been outlined in the DRRP Transition Plan for Long-Term Monitoring & Maintenance. A 2015, MOU signed by thirty partners affirms their commitment towards implementing the Transition Plan to build on seven years of restoration work to achieve a shared set of ecological, social, economic, and management goals through 2020. The private landowner in Lake Bottom has been working with USFWS Partners Program for the last few years and currently has an agreement to manage and maintain the project area in a manner that benefits wildlife habitat. This agreement is for 10 years and under that agreement USFWS will monitor the project annually and work with the landowner to ensure project success. Currently the Lake Bottom property is not used for livestock grazing. Under the USFWS agreement the landowner has agreed that if in the future livestock will be used on the property that they will work with USFWS and other partners on a grazing plan.

The removal of tamarisk and Russian knapweed is expected to greatly benefit domestic livestock in three ways. First, it will facilitate the reestablishment of perennial grasses, native forbs, and shrubs that have much higher forage value than tamarisk. Past knapweed treatments upstream from the project area have led to rapid reestablishment of perennial grasses, even in the absence of seeding. However, targeted broadcast seeding will be used to accelerate recolonization of native grasses in selected areas where native grasses are sparse in habitat adjacent to the treatment site. Second, control of tamarisk can make managing livestock easier. Previously dense stands of tamarisk that have either been removed or thinned (depending on site-conditions) increase access for ranchers to monitor and manage cattle on public allotments. Therefore grazing and animal distribution will increase since more river bank is accessible for watering livestock and wildlife. Third, Russian knapweed is known to be toxic to horses, potentially causing facial paralysis, malnutrition, dehydration, and necrosis (USDA Agr Info Bulletin Number 415). Controlling this noxious weed will reduce the potential for these and other livestock health issues. The private landowner in Lake Bottom has been resting the property but has had discussions with partners that if goals are met they would potentially like to discuss a grazing strategy.

09/01/2018

06/30/2019

2019

STATELINE SECTION The Canyon Country Youth Corps (CCYC) completed 4.4 acres of new tamarisk removal within the historic riverbed at the berm site in November 2018 by vehicle. All tamarisk and Russian olive, within this contiguous patch, were removed using chainsaws and a cut-stump herbicide application of Tahoe 3A. Herbicide was applied in a very targeted manner to the cambium within 15 minutes of cutting. Biomass was piled within and adjacent to the abandoned channel. The Grand County Weed Department treated 21.4 acres of knapweed in the abandoned agricultural field downstream from the berm site. Milestone was applied on 9/15/2018 using a helicopter platform. The Moab BLM successfully removed a portion of the historic berm in February 2019 allowing the river to flow within its historic path for the first time in decades. The cobble was removed using a backhoe and belly-dump truck. Material was piled in the historic floodplain and will be utilized for restoration projects along the Dolores in Colorado. RAFT SECTION The Canyon Country Youth Corps completed 3.1 acres of new tamarisk removal in the confined canyon-bound section by raft. Tamarisk and Russian olive were removed from around native trees and shrubs using chainsaws and a cut-stump herbicide application of Tahoe 3A. Herbicide was applied in a very targeted manner to the cambium within 15 minutes of cutting. Biomass was piled within natural openings and cleared areas. RIO MESA SECTION The Western Colorado Conservation Corps Strike Team completed 3.8 acres of Tamarisk and Russian olive removal at the Granite Creek confluence by vehicle. All tamarisk and Russian olive, within this contiguous patch dominated by native woody species, were removed using chainsaws and a cut-stump herbicide application of Tahoe 3A. Herbicide was applied in a very targeted manner to the cambium within 15 minutes of cutting. Biomass was handled using a lop and scatter methodology. ROBERTS BOTTOM SECTION The Canyon Country Youth Corps completed 3.3 acres of new tamarisk removal in Robert's Bottom vicinity by vehicle. Tamarisk and Russian olive were removed from around native trees and shrubs using chainsaws and a cut-stump herbicide application of Tahoe 3A. Herbicide was applied in a very targeted manner to the cambium within 15 minutes of cutting. Biomass was piled within natural openings and cleared areas. The Grand County Weed Department treated 6.62 acres of knapweed treatment along the road leading upstream from Lake Bottom into the Dolores Triangle using a truck and hose reel system on 8/15/2018. Roadsides and abandoned terraces were treated using Milestone. 2.8 acres of Kochia was treated at Robert's Bottom on 6/26/2019 using Diuron +2,4D.

The project was completed through collaboration between the BLM Canyon Country District Aquatic Habitats program, the Dolores River Restoration Partnership, RiversEdgeWest, the Canyon Country Youth Corps (CCYC), Southwest Conservation Corps, the Grand County Weed Department, Rio Mesa Center, Western Biology LLC, and UDWR/WRI. The project focused on treating Russian olive, tamarisk, Russian knapweed, and kochia and completed 46.7 acres accessed by either vehicle or raft. The collaboration made significant progress towards causing mortality of woody and herbaceous weedy species and increased resilience of native species within important side channel, confluence, and riparian habitat. STATELINE SECTION The Moab BLM successfully removed a portion of the historic berm in February 2019, allowing the river to flow within its historic path for the first time in decades. 2019 high water flows were enough to inundate the site for several months. There was outflow on the downstream end and residual pools remained as water levels dropped. The reconnected hydrology resulted in cottonwood seedling germination, establishment of rushes/sedges and the presence of black bear, mountain lion, beaver, waterfowl, woodhouse toad, red-spotted toad, garter snakes, and catfish as determined by visual confirmation. Environmental DNA samples were taken and will be compared to 3-species DNA to assess the presence of Flannelmouth Sucker, Bluehead Sucker, and/or Roundtail chub. The CCYC removed the last large patch of Russian olive and tamarisk within the historic river channel prior to the removal of the berm. The goal was to minimize surface roughness and impediments to water flow so that once reconnected, fluvial processes would be better able to restore the side channel/off channel habitat and clean fine material from cobble substrates. It will take several years for this system to reach an equilibrium at which time the need for further work will be assessed. The Grand County weeds department used internal funding to complete the Russian knapweed treatment on the abandoned agriculture field. That funding is not shown in the finance tab, but was an important piece in maintaining the investment we have in this site by reducing Russian knapweed density and keeping it from spreading downstream. RAFT SECTION The raft-based logistics are inherently challenging, requiring adequate flows to access the sites. Adequate flows occur during spring high water, and depend on releases from McPhee Reservoir and annual environmental conditions. This short window coincides with endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and Cuckoo breeding and nesting season. Surveys for these birds are required and must immediately precede the chainsaw work. Flows during the trip ranged from 1800-2900 cfs. Rafts launched below Beaver Creek rapid to avoid all rapids and minimize risk. Work was delayed a day due to impassable roads following intense rains. These units are characterized by significant amounts of native woody vegetation, some of which occur in and around ephemeral tributaries that create important confluence habitats in this confined canyon section. The crews prioritized the removal of woody invasives surrounding native plants and retreating resprouts from previous treatments. Adam Petry (Western Biology LLC) floated ahead of the youth corps to survey for birds. Notably, two SWFL were identified, but did not substantially impact treatment areas. An "After Action Review" was conducted and helped refine and optimize (i.e. # of crew, # of rafts, logistics, etc) our approach to raft-based work; the results of which will be implemented in Dolores 3.0. RIO MESA SECTION The Southwest Conservation Corps Strike Team accessed the Granite Creek Confluence Site by vehicle. They focused on removing all tamarisk and Russian olive that was intermixed with the native woody vegetation. This is an important confluence habitat, which creates connectivity to the upper reaches of Granite Creek. Most of the woody invasives have been removed from the confluence proper. Additional work is needed upstream from the confluence, in the Dolores floodplain, to promote the establishment of native species. ROBERT'S BOTTOM SECTION The CCYC initiated new woody invasive removal underneath a large cottonwood gallery on river left just upstream of from Robert's Bottom. This, cottonwood gallery, in combination with Robert's and Lake Bottom are considered critical habitat for Yellow-Billed Cuckoo and may be important for SWFL. This is a large polygon and there is a lot of work left to do to remove ladder fuels and mitigate the risk of stand replacement fire here. Work will continue to focus on removing tamarisk from underneath the cottonwood dripline while creating a safe buffer around the stand. CCYC also completed more removal near the pond at Lake Bottom building off previous years work. Grand County Weed Department continued eradication of Russian knapweed along the road leading upstream from Lake Bottom. We are starting to get a handle on knapweed in this area. Kochia was also treated at Robert's Bottom to clear the way for future cottonwood plantings. Plans to collect native seed from grasses and forbs already growing at Robert's Bottom was not completed due to the poor seed crop resulting from drought conditions in 2018. It was discovered that BLM had previously completed hydrologic monitoring at Robert's Bottom and new monitoring wells were unnecessary.

The next iteration of this project, Dolores 3.0, will continue to work in the same overall footprint but will build off this work. Assessing and treating tamarisk and Russian olive resprouts is a priority in the first year following treatment. The focus will continue to be clearing woody invasives from around native species, primarily cottonwoods, to support passive restoration with a priority on cottonwood galleries. Collection of seeds growing at Robert's Bottom is planned for Dolores 3.0, as conditions this year were better aligned with effective collection. Further, establishing ideal areas for active native re-vegetation will be established in the project area.