SoutheastUtahRiparianPartnership&DesertRiversCollaborative
OnApril21st,37attendeesfromthe
SoutheastUtahRiparianPartnership
(SURP)andtheDesertRivers
Collaborative(DRC)cametogetherto
tourawiderangeoffield-sitesalong
theColoradoRivercorridorin
southeasternUtah.Participants
delvedintothenuancesofriparian
restorationatavarietyofdifferent
scalesandsharedlessons-learned
fromtheirownexperiences.
Acknowledgements:
SpecialthankstoTheNature
Conservancy,MayberryNativePlant
PropagationCenter,&theTamarisk
Coalitionfororganizingthiscrossvisit.
Cross-Visit to field sites along
the Colorado River Corridor in
Southeastern Utah
April 21, 2016
Purposeofcross-visit:
•
•
•
•
Provideanopportunityfordialoguebetween
practitionersandresearchers.
Increaseunderstandingofecosystemeffectsofinvasive
speciesandtamariskbeetledefoliationonfutureplant
communitycomposition. Sharemanagementapproachestodirectdesirable
futureecosystemconditions.
Provideinputtoresearcherssuchthatfutureresearch
projectscanbetailoredtowardsinformingmanagement
goalsandobjectives.
MajorTake-Aways:
• Defoliationfromtamariskleaf-beetlesischangingsoil
chemistry,withincreasednitrogeninputs.
• UseofRussianknapweedbiologicalcontrolagents,
especiallywhereherbicidewillnotbeapplied,isan
appropriatelong-termstrategyforsuppressing
knapweedinfestations.
• Understandingthelargercontext(e.g.fromalteredflow
regimesandprojectedclimatescenarios)thatsspecific
restorationsitefitsintoiscritical.
• DRCandSURPpartnersvaluecontinuedcrosscommunications.
FieldPresentations(seebelowfordetailednotes):
1) EffectsofTamariskDefoliationonFuturePlant
Communities
2) UseofBiocontrolsinRiparianRestoration
3) UTandCONoxiousWeeds–Continuedandemerging
concerns
4) PlantMaterialsforRestorationSuccess
5) UnderstandingtheRoleofGeomorphologyin
Restoration
TheCross-WatershedNetwork(XWN)structures
venuesthatfacilitatelesson-sharingbetween
watershedpractitioners.Findmorewaysto
engageatcrosswatershed.net/xwnprograms/
Notesfromthefield
1) 9:30-10:30AM:EffectsofTamariskDefoliationonFuturePlantCommunities
atFishFord
Presenter:Dr.SashaReed,USGeologicalSurvey(USGS)
[Seedigitalversionofhandout]
SashaReedworkswithUSGStoresearchecosystemchangesinitiatedbytamariskmortalityand
defoliationaswellasmanagementstrategiestomitigatechangestosoilchemistry.Pat
Shafroth,alsowiththeUSGS,isusingthesamemethodologiesinananalogousstudyalongthe
VirginRiver.
Defoliationbytamariskleafbeetleandtamariskmortalityimpactsripariansoilsbyaltering:
• Litterlayer
o Withincreasedlight,tamariskduffbreaksdownfaster
• Lightavailability
o Linkedtochangesinsoiltemperatureandmoisture
o Begintoseephotosyntheticcryptobioticsoilswithgreaterlightavailability
• Increasednutrientloading(nitrogen,phosphates,potassium)
o Nitrogen,oftentimesatanorderofmagnitudegreaterthannormal,isreleased
tothegroundinthepresenceoftamariskbeetle–(beetledefoliationcauses
pre-senescenceleafdropwhichprovidesanincreaseofnitrogeninthesystem,
appearingtogiveadvantagetoexotics,accordingtoearlyresearchresults)
o 50%ofnitrogenandphosphatearetypicallyreturnedtotheplantthrougha
processcalled“resorption”inthefall–thoughitappearsthebeetleimpactslead
todefoliationbeforeresorptioncanoccur.
• Salinity
o Observedshorttermincreasesinsoilsalinityasaresultofdefoliation,however,
theincreaseinsalinityisminimalcomparedtoincreasednutrientloading
• Microbialcommunities
Managementstrategiestoreduceheavynitrogenlevelsinsoil:
• Chipping–usewoodchipstosuckupnutrientsonthefloor
• Sugar–usesugartoincreasemicrobialnumberstometabolizeexcesssoilnutrients
• Nativeseedbroadcast–tolessenthedegreeofadvantageofexoticsinprimary
successionalstages
Research,nextsteps:
• Currentlylookingatlightavailability,connectedtotemperatureandmoisture
• Impactsofflood;e.g.Doesinundationre-setsoilconditions?
• Differentsoiltypes;e.g.Howareimpactsdifferentinsilty/claysoilsvs.sandysoils?
• Seektounderstandtimescalesandfeedbackloopsthatareatplay,especiallyfor
nutrientloading
• ClayKarkandKaraDohrenwendhadsitesinmindthatmayfitSasha’sresearchneeds
Notesfromthefield
2) UseofBiocontrolsinRiparianRestorationatNielsonRanch
Presenters:TimHiggs,GrandCounty&Dr.DanBean,PalisadeInsectary
[seedigitalversionofhandout]
RussianKnapweed–allelophathygivesadvantageovernativesonceestablished
• Neitheravailablebiocontrolattacksknapweedattheroots–meaningtheydonotkill
theplant.
o Currentlyresearchingroot-feederbiocontrols
• Currentbiocontrolsmakeknapweedalesssuccessfulinvaderbyslowingits
reproduction;givesnativeplantsanopportunitytocompete
• Biocontrolagentsneedasteadyfoodsupply.Ifyouareplanningonsprayingyour
knapweed,it’sbestnottoreleaseanyagents.
o Ifyouarelowonfundinganddon’tplanonspraying,biocontrolisagreatoption.
RussianKnapweed–Gallmidge
• Availablesince2009
o WidelyusedinColorado(40-60releaseselsewhere)
o Spreadover20milesinlast4years
o Mostlyfoundclosetorivers
• Initialresultsareshowinggoodimpactsmadeonknapweed
o Besttoreleaseinspring
• Howthegallmidgeworks:
o Layeggsatthegrowingshoottipsoftheweedcausingthegrowingtipstocease
elongating.Theplantproducesleaveswhichremainfolded,forminglayered
gallsatthegrowingtips;thisinturnslows/stopsflowering
o Doesnotkilltheplant–rootsremainintact
• "Bestbangforyourbuck”
o Freebecauseofthelargenumbers!
• RussianKnapweed–Gallwasps
• Obtainedlastyear
o Limitedsupply
• Howgallwaspswork:
o Layeggsindevelopingstemscausingthemtoswellandinsomecasesbecome
severelydeformed.
o Slows/stopsflowering
• Besttoreleaseinspring
Biocontrolisalong-termtoolthatwarrantslongtermmonitoringtoproperlyunderstand
populationdynamics(100-yearscale)
Notesfromthefield
3) UTandCONoxiousWeeds–ContinuedandemergingconcernsatNielsonRanch
Presenters:TimHiggs&TeresaNees,MesaCountyNoxiousWeed&Pest
ColoradoeffortstohelpinformUtahmanagement(opportunitiesforfuturecollaboration)
• Coloradoriverweed-mappingeffortsontheColorado&GunnisonRiverswithinMesa
Countyareunderway;findingswillbesharedwithSURP
• COweedupdates:PurpleLoosestrifecontroleffortsarelookinggood,dealingwith
yellowtoadflax,leafyspurge,andahostofthistlespp.
• UtahandColoradomanagersneedtoworktogetheracrossthestateboundaryto
decidewhatsecondaryspeciestotreat,particularlyaftertamarisk/Russianolive
removal
UTandCOneedtocollaborateon:
• Non-nativePhragmites
• Varietyofinvasivethistles
• Ravennagrass(COmanagerslookingforbestmanagementpractices,howtodistinguish
frompampasgrass)
SEUTandWCOmanagersneedtostayintouch,formallyorinformallytosharelessonsand
[email protected]
Notesfromthefield
4) PlantMaterialsforRestorationSuccessatMayberryNativePlantPropagation
Center
Presenter:KaraDohrenwend,RimtoRimRestoration
[seedigitalversionofhandout]
AbouttheMayberryNativePlantPropagationCenter:
• 30acresoforchardacquiredbyTheNatureConservancytogrowlocally-sourcedseeds
andpottedplants
• PartnerintheColoradoPlateauNativePlantProgram,partofaBLMnationalstrategy
Researchquestions:
• Findingthemissinglink–whatarethenativeannualsthatcouldbeusedfor
restoration?
• Howtousenativeseedforlarge-scalerestoration?
Choosingtherightplantforyoursite:
• CORivercorridorinUTisunique,plantsgrownatotherNRCSplantmaterialscenters
maynotworkinthisclimate
• Thinkahead,considerclimateprojections(seeTomWhitham’scommongardenswork)
• NewMexicoprivet
o Slowtoestablish/grow
o Salt-inundation-&drought-tolerant!
o ExperimentingwithstrategiestostartNMprivetfromseed
• Povertyweed
o Mightbeagoodrhizomatousspecies
o Requirescollectingpermit
o Aretherenegativestousingpovertyweedinrestoration?
Riparianrestorationrecommendations:
• Makeclearingsintamariskand,usingcarcassesasshade,plantsaltgrassintrenches
• Russianknapweed–useRounduprightafterflower,Milestoneinthefall,thenrepeat
withRoundupagain.
Resources:
• UtahNativePlantSocietyisagreatresource
• ScottNissenofCSUisagreatresource
• ColoradoPlateauNativePlantProgram
Protectingnatives(specificallysumac&privet)fromdeerandothergrazers:
• Humanhair
• Predators
• PredatorpeefromThePeeMart:http://thepeemart.com(“America’snumberone
discounturinestore”)
• LiquidFence,oldfermentedeggs
Note:ifyouhavesuggestionsforhowtheMayberryPreserveoughttobemanaged,[email protected]
Notesfromthefield
5) UnderstandingtheRoleofGeomorphologyinRestorationatMayberryPlant
Center
Presenter:Dr.JackSchmidt,UtahStateUniversity
[seehandoutofPowerPointpresentation]
Channelandfloodplainform:
• Factors:width,materials,depth,sinuosity,gradient,&bankheight
• Determinedbyflowregimeandsedimentcontent
• Riparianvegetationholdsthebanks,causingfloodplainconstraintsandcontrollingthe
meander(aproblemwhentheregimesarealtered!)
Upstream(rock,gravelbeds)vs.downstream(finegrainbeds)restorationdiffers:
• Boulder-cobble:sedimentmovementonlyatthresholds
• Gravel-sand:sedimentmovementwilloccur;howmuchisdependentonvelocity.
o Givenalteredflows,willallthesedimentmovethroughagivenstretch?
Bewaretheparadigmofhistoricalequilibrium!Understandingofthehistoricalfloodregimesis
lessrelevantthanconsideringnewstreamdynamicsintheColoradoRiverBasin
• Snowmeltisnowregulated;nolongercontrolsfloodregimesinCOPlateau
o Manifestaspoliticalissuesvs.hydrographissues
o Upstreamcontrolsleadtofew/nooverbankfloodevents
• Monsoonseasoncontrolsfloodregimes
• Bank-fulldoesnothappenontheColoradoPlateau
o Steady-statesarealteredaschannelizationandsedimentdepositionincrease
Take-aways:
• Riparianrestorationneedstoconsiderthenewfloodregime,don’texpectover-bank
flooding
• Alwaysconsider3factors:bedmaterial,scaleofriver&geomorphicorganizationsin
planningprocesses