The Water Hollow fire burned approximately 164 acres of private lands in Weber County. The fire burned an area of important low elevation winter habitat for elk and mule deer with much of the fire consisting of south and west facing slopes. Perennial grasses and shrubs were present in the area providing that valuable forage. Seeding will help keep these areas from being dominated by annual weeds and cheatgrass.

Establish perennial grasses to a cover value of 10% by the end of the 3rd growing season Establish perennial forbs to a cover value of 4% by the end of the 3rd growing season Reduce the establishment of noxious weeds.

Annual grasses and weeds will likely increase without perennial grass and forb competition.

Deer Unit Management Plan 4 Address loss of critical winter range Statewide Deer Management Plan -Loss of critical winter range habitat Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan -Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. State of Utah - Resource Management Plan pg 236 Expand Wildlife Populations Protect existing habitat and improve 500,000 acres of habitat Produce and maintain the desired vegetation for wildlife and livestock.

Seeding will reduce the amount of annual grasses while increasing fire resistant perennial grasses and shrubs. Flashy fuels such as noxious weeds will be reduced with a successful seeding.

This project will improve water quality by reducing the potential for erosion and maintaining valuable perennial plants. The fire scar is in an important watershed for Causey Reservoir which services significant agriculture and secondary water for Weber County.

No ground disturbance is planned.

Seed will be purchased from GBRC and the landowner will contract for aerial seeding.

Photo points will be established and visited by FFSL to monitor seeding success.

Forestry, Fire and State Lands is assisting with the private landowner. DWR is assisting with reseeding efforts and proper seed mix for wildlife habitat. The private landowner will be responsible for aerial seeding.

The aerial seeding areas are private lands used mostly for recreation and some grazing. Grazing is entirely by sheep and will be rested for two years.

This project will improve the quality and quantity of livestock grazing and wildlife forage.

10/31/2020

10/31/2020

2021

This project was a collaboration between the DWR, FFSL and a private landowner to reseed a small burn scar (165 acres) with a wildlife focused seed mix. DWR provided the seed from the GBRC in Ephraim, the landowner funded the aerial seeding contract and FFSL assisted in planning and implementation. The burned area provides beneficial winter range habitat to deer, elk and moose. The seeding was done to enhance the vegetation in the area and also prevent invasive species such as cheatgrass from dominating the area. The project was seeded by plane on October 31, 2020 using the planned seed mix at the recommended 9lbs/acre for the total 165 acres.

The Water Hollow fire burned approximately 165 acres of valuable wildlife habitat in the summer of 2020 on private lands in Weber County. On October 31, 2020 the total area was aerially seeded by plane. The seed mix consisted of various perennial grasses, forbs, and sagebrush at a rate of 9 lbs/acre. The project was completed as proposed and everything went well and seed was applied just prior to first snow of the year. The landowner paid for the application and WRI provided the seed from the DWR warehouse with assistance from DWR and FFSL personnel.

Project will be monitored by ranch manager and FFSL employees as part of the Forest Stewardship monitoring program and will be checked yearly. The only grazing taking place on the property is for sheep and they will be instructed to continue avoiding the area.