Salt Creek / Riparian Areas

The current plan is focused on enhancement and protection of aquatic features on the property, including streams and wetlands.  These features will be protected from livestock grazing except as an IRT-approved management tool, and further enhanced by improving vegetation community diversity and reducing non-desirable species intrusion.  The stream will be protected from livestock grazing, and further enhanced by establishment of riparian buffers, reducing sedimentation, nutrient loading and increasing bank stability.  Protective buffer zones around all stream and riparian features on the property will allow full recovery of the aquatic zones and will result in much improved water quality, vegetation, and habitat for fish and wildlife.

Wetland Enhancement

Riparian and wetland buffers will encompass all stream and wetland features on the property via conservation covenants.  Grazed areas will be fenced, and areas that are currently farmed as row crops that lie within the proposed buffers will be converted to native riparian or upland vegetation, depending on the topographic setting.  Existing features such as beaver dams and abandoned man-made check dams will not be maintained, repaired or otherwise modified unless such work is needed, as determined by monitoring reports and consultation with the IRT. 

Of the 36.8 acres of jurisdictional wetlands on site, 32.9 will be included in the wetland portion of the mitigation bank.  These areas will be managed by precluding cattle grazing except as an IRT-approved management tool, and further enhanced by maintaining or improving vegetation diversity and stability while reducing undesirable and nuisance species.  Wetland enhancement efforts will include periodic treatments such as herbicide application to reduce weeds and promote a healthy vegetation community, as well as supplemental planting to maintain a high floristic quality index.  Follow this link to view more before and after photos.