Show Vernal District ELM activities s during 1977 The Vernal District administers ad ad- ministers the public lands within the Basin Dasin Public lands are those federal lan lands s left after lands were transferred transferred transferred tran tran- to private individuals or withdrawn for such U things as National Parks Forest and Wildlife Refuges Approximately Ap proximately 18 million acres of public land and an additional 15 million acres of mineral minerai estate in the Uintah Basin are administered administered ad ad- ministered by the Vernal District for multiple uses These uses include minerals livestock grazing recreation watershed wildlife lands woodland products antiquities and environmental quality Following is a summary of activities within the Vernal District for 1977 MINERALS Oil and gas activity in tin the Vernal District has increased dramatically over 1976 levels In 1977 there were 79 applications applications applications ap ap- ap- ap for permits to drill 58 more than last year M Most st of the drilling has occurred in the Natural Buttes Duties Re Red Wash Wells and Clay Basin fields Most of the wells were for production of oil or gas but 20 or so wells were drilled in Clay Basin to inject and store natural gas during times limes of low demand for use during peak demand periods in the Pacific Northwest Oil shale development work has slowed as a result of a court ruling excusing the leaseholders from the terms of their leases but title clearance activities are arc continuing by This summer title to more than 2000 mining claims located after the oil shale withdrawal withdrawal with with- became effective were investigated and the final decision on their status is pending in the Utah State Stale Office of the WILDLIFE The Wetlands project south of My Myton ton is one of the Bureaus Bureau's priority wildlife programs nationwide The objective of the project is to increase duck and goose production along the Marsh which drains the agriculture areas of Pleasant Valley and My Myton ton rAt f-At the present time two men of the project are nearing completion and another is fully completed Plans call for an additional structure to be built soon The marsh is only 12 fe mile upstream from the Green River and is ideally suited for waterfowl waterfowl waterfowl water water- fowl production Observations in the past show that ducks are are re naturally attracted to the area for breeding and nesting The program will add several thousand acres of habitat to the system by a series feries of dikes canals and ditches So far an existing dike was strengthened and increased several feet in height A con con- 7 Y yr 4 a tle CONSTRUCTION WORK on a water control structure at the Waterfowl Marsh L. L y f ll J Rea E f a r 1 k tj y COMPLETED DIKE and water control structure at Waterfowl Marsh wire baskets filled with rock line banks to protect banks from eroding crete water control structure was added to regulate water as required Farther upriver a series of dikes and canals were constructed constructed constructed con con- to impound water to create additional habitat In some areas areas area irrigation techniques will be employed to improve both nesting habitat and livestock forage Since a freak flood could conceivably cause severe damage to the project a flood control structure is currently being designed An earthen dam will be constructed at the confluence of Castle Peak Wash and the Wash It is being engineered to store water caused by flash floods most of which occur in the summer via high intensity low dura duration tion thunderstorms Lloyd Ferguson Vernal District Manager points out that the project is a good example of multiple use in action Besides wildlife it will provide for energy there are oil wells in the immediate area livestock forage and minerals Drought is the key word for forthe forthe forthe the past year concerning wildlife habitat in the Vernal District The prolonged period with severe shortages of water has resulted in poor production of forage This is true for summer and winter ranges alike Many of the browse utilization studies read cooperatively with personnel from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources showed no i e f rw fI f- f I at a BOULEVARD RIDGE burning out of control It was controlled at acres growth at all A browse utilization study has tagged branches minimum of 40 tags per transect which are checked for the years year's tot production This is recorded in inthe inthe inthe the fall after the growing season has ended Then in the spring after deer and elk have wintered wintered win win- on the area the transect is reread and the percent of use is determined With absolutely no nu current production recorded in many instances it is apparent that a severe shortage of winter feed for big game could result This will probably not become a serious problem unless the weather changes and a hard winter develops However a serious condition exists and without considerable moisture r T j cw J itI Pt o tf u i FX wi t fe r. r CONSTRUCTION WORK on a reservoir at the Waterfowl Marsh This pond will collect sediment and i improve the quality of the water to reverse the present trend our big game ranges will continue to deteriorate during the coming summer Several activities relating to habitat improvement and development were completed Inthe in inthe inthe the District during 1977 All were a part of a continuing effort to improve the habitat for all of our important wildlife creatures RANGE Ranchers and worked together to take a year of drought in stride There were questions and challenges to each For example what could be done with the stock with little feed on the range Or how could use over-use of a limited supply of forage be avoided Answers to these questions were not easy but had to be found IThe IThe i iThe The logical approach was to face each situation on a case basis considering both resource and operator needs a real test of individual ingenuity arid and flexibility The dryness left its mark in various ways Reservoirs became dry many springs ran low or went dry and plant growth was delayed as much as asa asa asa a month The open w winter whiter lHer resulted in frost damage to some pipelines Stock were leaner than usual at turnout Probably worse hit were the shrubs or browse plants Rust colored and juniper en cn the fringes of some conifer areas showed the dry effect of the 77 1976 winter High loss of sagebrush and other shrub plants occurred in some instances on surviving plants twig growth was much below normal The result much less forage especially on the winter ranges On the saving side a few timely storms localized in nature did occur which favored grasses and forbs able to utilize the surface moisture Game animals such as deer elk and antelope were not confined to the customary winter range areas by the usual snows hence there was less oem oem- petition for feed on the lower ranges What was the outcome of it all For the rancher it was closer culling preg testing selling more old cows and keeping extra replacement heifers It was selling lambs and and ca calves ves early to stretch water and feed It was cutting down on salt to reduce water intake Perhaps most importantly importantly importantly im im- im- im it was looking ahead and careful planning to avoid emergency hay and feed purchase pur pur- chase For and user it meant a careful look at what forage was available It was deciding how many stock the range could handle without hurting it It was setting turn out dates back or coming home early It was opening a rest pasture or shifting cattle callIe between allot allot- ments It was hauling water to way the places In some cases it was closing the range and keeping cows home The significant part was the attitude and approach of those involved It was a voluntary effort Credit is due especially to the rancher for his concern for the range It was he who felt the real brunt of the pinch andin andin and andin in the face of an adverse market Our thanks and appreciation appreciation appreciation ap ap- ap- ap and hopes for a better year are extended to each LAND USE PLANNING The area from the southern rim of Diamond Mountain north to the Wyoming line is having a aland aland aland land use plan prepared for it District planners are working closely with ranchers sportsmen sportsmen sportsmen sport sport- energy companies environmentalists environmentalists en and others to rr s r L p h R x xi h i li It TIM OBRIEN O'BRIEN Vernal and a Salt Lake firefighter constructing a fireline complete a plan by April 1978 when an environmental impact statement will be started on livestock grazing in the area Every use is not suited to every acre and some uses conflict with others The District is charged with managing the land for the optimum mix of potential uses This is what the land use plan will do The optimum mixture of uses is determined by inventorying inventorying inventorying in in- the resources of the district determining the management which would be best for each resource and then resolving the conflicts that are found between resource development possibilities FIRE FIHE One of the most significant threats posed by this years year's drought was fire Drought- Drought stricken areas became extremely extremely extremely ex ex- ex- ex dry and highly susceptible to fires that quickly grew into large hard to control fires This was illustrated when a man-caused man fire during March Marchin in the Browns Park area burned over 50 acres of pinyon juniper and browse before District personnel could gain control This fire although early in the year pointed out that the fuels were ready to burn and fires would be hard to control This fire coupled with the dry winter prompted the Vernal District to begin hiring fire personnel in April A much higher fire occurrence occurrence occurrence oc oc- oc- oc currence was expected due to the drought conditions but the District had 42 fires for the year 40 of these were lightning caused fires and two were man caused the largest being acres The District utilized two helicopters on several occasions occasions oc oc- oc one from the Ashley National Forest and the other under contract to a at t Moab The District received help from US U.S. Forest Service crews in addition to crews from Moab and Salt Lake City y D' D I Natural glass a byproduct byproduct byproduct by by- product of volcanic action action ac ac- ac tion tion has been on earth since the world began Prehistoric man discovered discovered ered more than years ago that this hard translucent material could be chi chipped ped into arrowheads and knives Gorge Dam to Browns Park was very popular this year While the rest of ot the western rivers dried up to mere trickles due to the drought the Green River continued ed at near normal flows thanks to Flaming Gorge Dam Parched riv rive t rats came from all over the US U.S. to enjoy their sport on this beautiful river As a result visitor use Is estimated to have doubled from approximately to visitor use days If letters requesting river Information are any indica Indication lion of future use use many of the out out of have friends w who o plan to come next year A crew of archaeologists hiked liked over hill and dale in Clay Basin during the early part of 1977 searching for evidence of prehistoric peoples They were hired by Mountain Fuel Supply Company to survey 7 square miles of public land so that work in the Clay Basin Injection field could proceed A number of sites were found and in in- in The site locations local environment environment environment en en- and coH collected ted artifacts artifacts artifacts ar ar- ar- ar such as pottery pieces arrowheads and chipped stone were studied LaMar W W. Lindsay Lindsay Lind Lind- say supervising archaeologist for the project reported that the area may have been inhabited years before the present Additional testing including carbon 14 dating will be required to verify his estimate Most of the materials collected were of more recent origin probably years old The area was most likely used by Piute and Shoshone Indians Indians' for winter hunting hunting camps The Vernal Museum obtained a permit to collect dinosaur bones from a hillside where they discovered portions of a buried reptile on public land At least one complete bone has been recovered and is being stored and studied at the museum Additional excavation is planned for next spring The museum and the are interested interested interested in in- in additional finds that local residents may know about Collecting dinosaur bones without a 11 permit is against the law WATERSHED During 1977 field work was completed for a soil survey on approximately acres east of the Vernal landfill This is the beginning of a project that will result in all soils being mapped between the rim of Diamond Mountain and Ouray This work is being done in cooperation i with the Soil Conservation Service I Approximately acres I were sprayed with 2 D 4 along stock drive trails and around corrals and ponds on public land to control the spread of noxious weeds in Daggett and Uintah Counties Three rock and wire in Miners Draw were rebuilt to prevent sediment from entering a downstream stock watering pond These structures were built buill originally by the Civil Conservation Corp in inthe inthe inthe the and have functioned successfully for over 35 years Nine wire fence were maintained to insure that they continue to exclude livestock or and-or big game These small study areas are of great importance when determining the effect of grazing on vegetation and soil If IC these fences are not properly maintained on a regular basis an irreplaceable record can be lost last N r Halley's Comet will next be I seen in 1986 I |