During the last 20 years several water developments have occurred on Panguitch Lake herd unit in response to vegetation projects. Past and upcoming vegetation management projects have and will improved wildlife forage capacity and overall habitat effectiveness by removing encroaching conifers from the ecosystem. Water is still one of the limiting factors on this unit. Several water sources (guzzlers) have been planned to be placed where they can be utilized with existing tree cover while providing access to the treatment area. As demand for water use has increased all over the Great Basin, water sources for wildlife have decreased. There is a need to increase water availability across rangelands for both livestock and wildlife needs. The purpose of the proposed guzzlers is to provide a dedicated source of water for wildlife, improving suitability, and reducing competition between resources for water. Providing a secure water source for wildlife reduces stress on populations and provides for the necessary habitat security for consistent use of the habitat. Distributing wildlife across the landscape helps reduce the risk of disease transmission in localized populations. Guzzlers that have been installed in year past are also in need of some serious maintenance, many of them need fences repaired, or installed. Others need various parts replaced to allow for water to be collected or retained.

The water developments will consist of guzzlers designed for rain water collection and storage in holding tanks up to 2,500 gallons. Water will be dispersed through a drinker designed for wildlife use. The objectives are to disperse water in drier habitat areas where it can facilitate better use of the existing habitat. An overflow design may also be incorporated that would distribute water to livestock, but wildlife and livestock drinkers would be separate, with livestock being fenced out of the wildlife drinker box. Replace parts and fences and preform maintenance on previously installed guzzlers.

As local wildlife populations expand so does the human interaction within surrounding habitats. As humans interact and disturb existing populations wildlife become pushed into less desirable locations or into locations that lack all of the necessary resources such as water. In other cases where habitat is improved and forage capacities are returned to better conditions more wildlife can be supported if the critical resources such as water are also available. Guzzlers frequently fill this niche and help offset some of the pressures from disturbance or help facilitate better use of new forage. Placing guzzlers in these drier sites helps facilitate the use by wildlife in these areas where habitat effectiveness is normally limited. In most cases the water will support many sensitive species as well as big-game populations. Many of the existing guzzlers sites are currently providing water to at-risk species such as sage grouse. In all areas, monitoring shows that drinkers provide water for a variety of non-game animals, birds, bats, and large animals.

The proposed project is consistent with and supported by the following management plans: 1) Dixie National Forest - Land and Resource Management plan - pp. IV-84, Standard: A. Maintain habitat capability at a level at least 80 % of potential capability for all emphasized species. And. pp. IV-112, 6A management direction, (1) Maintain and manage forested inclusions to provide a high level of forage production, wildlife habitat, and diversity. 2) Garfield County current desired future conditions and Draft resource management plan. pp. 5 Wildlife Goal: Prior to December 31, 2025, land managers will seek to have habitats supporting important fish and wildlife species. 3) Utah Statewide Elk Management Plan pp. 16, Strategies: C. Watershed Restoration Initiative, a) Increase forage production by annually treating a minimum of 40,000 acres of elk habitat. and b) Coordinate with land management agencies, conservation organizations, private landowners, and local leaders through the regional WRI working groups to identify and prioritize elk habitats in need of enhancement or restoration. 4)Elk management plan (28 Panguitch Lake): pp.3: Unit Habitat Objectives: Continue projects with USFS, BLM, state and private entities to enhance habitat across the unit. Encourage the maintenance and development of water sources throughout the unit. Focus on providing water sources in remote areas or on abandoned/sources such as old water troughs, ponds, and tanks that can benefit both livestock and wildlife. 5) Utah Mule Deer Statewide management plan, Dec 01 2014. pp.18 - Habitat Goal: Conserve, improve, and restore mule deer habitat throughout the state with emphasis on crucial ranges. Habitat Objective 1: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the state by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts. Strategies: c. Work with local, state and federal land management agencies via land managementplans and with private landowners to identify and properly manage crucial mule deerhabitats, especially fawning, wintering and migration areas. D. Minimize impacts and recommend mitigation for losses of crucial habitat due to human impacts. Habitat Objective 2: Improve the quality and quantity of vegetation for mule deer on a minimum of 500,000 acres of crucial range by 2019. e. Continue to support and provide leadership for the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative, which emphasizes improving sagebrush-steppe, aspen, and riparian habitats throughout Utah. g. Encourage land managers to manage portions of pinion-juniper woodlands and aspen/conifer forests in early successional stages using various methods including timber harvest and managed fire. 6)Deer herd and unit management plan, Deer Herd Unit # 28, (Panguitch Lake) pp 3: Maintain mule deer habitat throughout the unit by protecting and enhancing existing crucial habitats and mitigating for losses due to natural and human impacts.

Guzzlers will help wildlife better utilize existing habitat types. In some areas fuels are increased because wildlife and livestock do not have access to the forage due to the lack of water availability in the area. The placement of guzzlers into these types of areas will help reduce fuels as wildlife better utilize the existing forage.

Adding guzzlers to existing habitat helps improve water quality by distributing wildlife across the landscape. Large game animals such as elk and mule deer may concentrate on a single water resource when water is scarce. Additional water sources such as guzzlers and ponds help distribute wildlife across the landscape which allows them to better utilize the existing forage but also alleviates impacts from concentration areas.

NEPA has been conducted and a Decision Memo was issued in the Fall of 2017 approving the placement of these guzzlers on National Forest System lands. All sites have had Archaeological and cultural clearances. Utah law allows for construction of guzzlers under 2,500-gallon capacity with a simple rain water harvesting permit, without a water right. Guzzlers were approved up to 2,500-gallon capacity to be consistent with Utah state law. https://www.waterrights.utah.gov/forms/rainwater.asp

Dixie National Forest biologist prefer to utilize 1800 gallon boss tanks and their catchment kit due to their low maintenance needs and ease of installation. It is proposed to purchase 1 guzzler and 2 catchment kits and transport them from the manufacturer to Cedar City Utah where they will be distributed from there to various sites.

Guzzlers are monitored annually by USFS biologist for maintenance needs. Utilization is monitored with remote trail cameras. These Boss tanks have been used on other ranger districts with good success. We expect to see good success from these guzzlers after instillation.

Partners include Dedicated Hunters, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Local Sportsmens for Fish and Wildlife groups, Mule Deer Foundation, and National Wild Turkey Federation, and Boy Scouts of America. In the past, proposed projects have generated interest from local youth as an Eagle scout project.

Future management includes constant monitoring to ensure drinkers stay functional and are maintained annually. Biologist monitor existing sites now and conduct maintenance when necessary. In addition, there are 5 other approved sites on the Dixie National Forest, Cedar City Ranger District that we will be seeking additional funding for in the future.

Livestock benefit from the placement of these guzzlers as most sites will have an overflow into a pond or trough that facilitates livestock use. Excess rainwater harvested then allows for livestock to better utilize the surrounding forage.

11/01/2023

06/24/2024

2024

One guzzler was installed in November by the Forest Service with the help of DWR so it could collect rain all winter, and the fence was installed this June also by the Forest Service with the help from DWR to keep the cows out. The guzzler was installed on top of 5 mile ridge. The guzzler capacity is 1,800 gallons (boss tank) and we put a metal apron over top of it to increase the water catching ability.

Guzzler was installed to help keep game utilizing available habitat further into the year after natural water sources dry out. It was fenced to not allow cows to drink it all the way down. It is already full and we have pictures of a mountain lion and a black bear using it! For the install the Forest Service road crew brought up their mini excavator and were able to clean up the road to make it drivable for me to pull a trailer with the tank on it. After we arrived they shot with a laser to get the correct grade and dug a hole to put the boss tank down into. We then used the head of the bucket to install delineator post along both sides for the tank. We then hung c-purlins from the posts over the guzzler to install the metal apron. The Forest Service road crew helped with their laser again to shoot the grade to make sure the water would flow down towards the guzzler. That was done in November in hopes that the guzzler would be full by Spring, and it was! In June I assembled a member of the DWR, my wildlife crew, a few members of the fire crew, our range crew, and a wildlife crew from a neighboring district. We had approximately 20 people out to help with building and installing a buck and pole fence around the guzzler to keep the cows out of it. It was a big effort but we were able to get the fence around it in one day with the help of all the people who showed up. The materials for the buck and pole fence were purchased from Orton farm in Panguitch and included cedar posts and lodgepole rails.

Future management will involve regular inspections to make sure the guzzler is functioning properly, any maintenance needs will be addresses for the project to meet its intent.