Aldos Silver City • Entered by Marcia Stout on August 31, 2024
Riparian – Grazing Monitoring
August 1, 2024 – August 31, 2024
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | |
| Post Admin hours | 2.5 |
| Activity Hours | 16 |
| Participants | 4 |
| Total Hours | 66.5 |
Key Issue: Livestock Grazing Management
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Gila National Forest
Landscape/area: Gila National Forest (2658321 acres)
Measurable Outcomes
Outcome 1: Trail/land monitored (4 surveys)
Outcome 2: Trail/land monitored (1 emails)
Outcome 3: Hiked (15.5 miles)[/if 1231]
Short Description of Activity
On Aug. 7, two members of our team monitored along the San Francisco going downstream from near Luna in the Laney allotment. We did not observe recent cattle sign in sufficient amount to report cattle presence with confidence. After camping overnight, monitoring was continued from the ridge near “Potato Patch” using binoculars to search for horses on the loose in the basin below, per suggestion from the Quemado District Ranger. We observed several horses and this was reported to the forest service, although it was difficult to provide a precise location from that distance. This was followed by monitoring the San Francisco River near Cienega Canyon in the Reserve District. This was a follow-up monitoring foray following one earlier in the year where we observed cattle. On Aug. 14, two members of our team monitored a section of the San Francisco River beginning at Harve Gulch. This also was a follow-up monitoring foray following our previous observations of recent cattle sign. At the confluence of Harve Gulch and the river there were fresh tracks. Heading downstream 3 cattle were seen at about ¾ mile downstream. The range staff promptly emailed to say they would do a follow-up ASAP to determine ownership. On Aug. 24, two members of our team met with the Wilderness District Ranger regarding issues such as horses grazing on the loose in the wilderness district. They then accompanied a forest service employee “way out there” on a field trip to search for such horses or other livestock in the wilderness area near Diamond Creek/ East Fork of the Gila River. In the Big Diamond Creek meadow, 6 horses (including mules) were observed. The forest service employee then drove our team on the edge of the wilderness boundary to several nearby areas where it is likely the horses may be. They hiked from midway along 225 down to the creek where it narrows down and walked upstream, for a monitoring hike.
Reflection/Evaluation
August proved to be a good month for monitoring. This time we were encouraged to observe no recent sign in the San Francisco River near Cienega Canyon. The cattle had been removed since our previous report several months ago, so response was good. Communications relative to our monitoring are currently good regarding all the districts. We may do a follow-up overnight monitoring trip in the Wilderness District this fall, if it works out.
Photos/Uploads
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Photo Captions
1. Monitoring along the San Francisco River near Luna
2. Monitoring for horses on the loose, with binoculars at Potato Patch
3. Monitoring along San Francisco River near Cienega Canyon