The River Breaks Fire in Lemington Canyon along Dog Valley wash approximately 10 miles north-east of Lemington, Utah along Highway 132. Elevations within the burned area range from 5,040 to 5,460 feet on the Rocky Ford Allotment in Southern Juab County. The fire burned areas that feature a mixture of scattered perennial grasses and forbs with cheatgrass in the interspaces. Fire severity was light to moderate across the burned area and few of the existing perennials were killed. The threats of further cheatgrass and annual forb invasion and proliferation, noxious squarrose knapweed invasion, and soil losses are the principal concerns. Without seeding, most of this burned area would be at risk of a conversion to an annual and biennial weed dominated plant community.

Prevent cheatgrass from establishing. Increase forage for livestock and wildlife. Reduce future fire risk.

If we don't do this project cheatgrass will establish more abundantly and future cost of removing this cheatgrass will be much higher. The River Breaks Fire burned with low to moderate severity. Because of the fire resulted in a loss of vigor and mortality of the residual perennial plants, the area is now more susceptible to weeds. The ESR team feels that the fire will result in a decrease of perennial vegetation and an increase of annual vegetation if the proposed seeding treatment is not implemented. Further cheatgrass invasion is a major threat on bottom areas around the wash in the burned area. Cheatgrass already has a strong presence with a continuous stand between scattered perennial vegetation; and a stand conversion to a cheatgrass monoculture is a real possibility. The noxious squarrose knapweed poses a threat to the fire area. It has been a problem in the past in burned areas and in areas with soil disturbances, especially along the roadsides and in washes. Squarrose knapweed is a major problem in Juab County and this area is in close proximity to known knapweed populations. Other past fires, such as the 2011 Desert Mountain Fire (GEL6), the 2014 Simpson Complex (H82W), and even the 2017 Onaqui Complex (K5Z3) have demonstrated the tendency of squarrose knapweed to increase logarithmically following a fire event. In fact, over 700 acres of the Onaqui Complex that was previously infested with squarrose knapweed resprouted just three weeks after the fire burned in late July of 2017. That rapid increase in knapweed after a fire event was serious enough that the rapid response of a targeted aerial herbicide treatment the same Fall was built into the Onaqui Complex Combined ESR Plan

This treatment is consistent with the House Range Resource Management Plan (1987) and the 2010 West Desert District Normal Year Fire Rehabilitation Plan (DOI-BLM-UT-W000-2010-0001-EA).

This project will reduce the threat of future fires by suppressing cheatgrass.

This will help reduce erosion and improve water quality.

Cultural clearances, contracting paperwork, and other necessary preparations will begin as soon as funds are made available.

Drill Seeding treatments would be completed on 138.83 acres this Fall, using a seed mix specifically prescribed for the ecological site to stabilize the exposed soils of the fire. The species in the seed mix were selected with the focus on species that establish quickly on drier sites, compete with cheatgrass, and stay green longer into the summer to make the seeded areas more resistant to fire and more tolerant of fire if the area burns again. Drilling would be done perpendicular to the prevailing winds as much as is practical to shelter and protect new tender seedlings from the wind. Drilling perpendicular to the wind also helps with the wind erosion problem by providing catchment furrows for wind-born sediments, rather than allowing particles to bounce along the surface and jar new particles loose, which snowballs the wind erosion problem (saltation). In contrast, drill furrows in line with the wind scour out rather quickly as furrows offer no resistance to the wind. This technique has proven successful on other fires in this area. All of the proposed drill seeding treatments would occur in October and November to optimize chances of seeding success. Cultural clearances, contracting paperwork, and other necessary preparations will begin as soon as funds are made available.

BLM will continue to monitor success of treatment and make any future treatments as needed.

BLM is providing all of the funds for the project. BLM will do all of the drill seeding and fencing work with their crews. UDWR will purchase the seed and mix it and then be re-imbursed by BLM.

If needed in the future we will look at herbicide application or other managment proactices to ensure the success of the project. Fencing will be built around the project to protect it from grazing for at least two growing seasons.

This project will increase the quanitity and quality of forage for livestock.

10/21/2019

11/14/2019

2020

The River Breaks fire was drill seeded in fall of 2019 post fire. Started drill seeding in October and completed in November 14. There were 146 acres that were drill seeded. See seed mix for species.

The River Breaks fire totalled 146 acres of burned grass/shrubland near highway 132 west of Levan, UT. This project was necessary to try and establish desired vegetation before non native species like cheatgrass grow. To accomplsih this we drill seeded desired species.

The BLM will continue to monitor success of treatments and do any herbicide spraying or additional seeding as necessary.