1968 Production and Utilization Study

Walker Basin (S) Allotment
Long Valley Ranger District
Coconino National Forest
July - November 1968

Fieldwork: J. A. Hafterson
W. B. Finley
E. D. Hardy
Submitted by: A. Hafterson, D.R.
Date: 12-24-68

I. Introduction

At the end of the 1968 grazing season, the non-use agreements between the Forest Service and the Walker Basin Allotment's permittees, V-V Cattle Company and William M. Sullivan will expire. These non-use agreements were for 400 head (V-V Cattle Company) and 80 head (William M. Sullivan) of livestock for five consecutive years. (Thus the approved stocking rate for the five year period was 490 head of cattle on the Walker Basin Allotment.)

The objectives of this production and utilization study are: To determine the effects of the non-use agreements upon the Walker Basin (S) Allotment, to firm up the allotment's capacity, and to gather information for future management needs.

II. Procedures

A. Field

On July 11-12, 1968, W. B. Finley and E. D. Hardy made a study of the Snake Ridge pasture. On September 4, 5, and 6, 1968, J.A. Hafterson and E. D. Hardy studied the Heifer, Horse, and Steer pastures. On October 21, 22, 29, and 30, W. B. Finley and J.A. Hafterson studied the Pine pasture. The ocular estimating method supplemented by clipping plants in the unused adjacent pastures having similar range conditions, as well as clipping protected plants was used. William M. Sullivan (Permittee) was present on August 6, 1968, and was invited to participate on most other dates.

B. Office

This portion of the study consisted of basic data calculation (see appendix) and the completion of the Production and Utilization Map for the allotment.

Estimated actual use and proper use stocking rates were summarized for each pasture.

SPECIAL NOTE: Do not try to compare the "Total Production" nor "Forage Crop Used" columns between the individual pastures. These tonage figures are relative and pertain only to the individual pasture or groups of pastures studied during a particular period. Growing season, growth stage, plants emphasized for the study are the various factors which affect the tonnage figures. For example the Snake Ridge pasture was studied during the spring growing season prior to the summer growing season. The Pine pasture was studied after nearly all plants had cured, while the remainder of the studied pastures were inspected during the peak of the summer growing season when all plants were green.

The estimated proper use for each pasture was obtained by using the following formula:

Proper Use (AM's) Actual Use (AM's)

Desired use (%) Actual use (%)

A desired use percentage has been determined for each pasture. The desired use percentage may vary by pasture. Such items as range condition, composition, season of use, and pattern of use were the variables which affected the estimated desired use for each pasture.

III. Results and Description by Pastures

A. Snake Ridge Pasture

The Snake Ridge Pasture is located within the southwestern portion of the allotment. This unit, normally, receives use during the spring and/or fall. This year, 1968, Snake Ridge was used in the spring and the late fall.

This pasture is primarily within the woodland type with interspersed grasslands. The eastern quarter of the pasture is within the pine type. The Snake Ridge pasture is well watered. Range condition varies from very poor to poor. The almost total absence of both the more desirable cool and warm season growing species was observed during the study. Arizona fescue, muttongrass, and Junegrass are the lacking cool season growers while mountain muhly, spike muhly, black dropseed, pine dropseed, and side-oats grama constitute the missing desirable warm season growers. Extensive patches of pussytoes and snakeweed were observed throughout the pasture.

The dominant forage, blue grama, had not started growing at the time of the study. However, blue grama received moderate to heavy use as was indicated by the lack of dry forage and nubbed plants. Cool season growers such as squirreltail and muttongrass constitute a relatively small percentage of the pasture's forage composition and density. These cool season growers were heavily used. The 345 K.V. powerline right-of-way's reseeded species received extremely heavy use from livestock, horses, and wildlife. Utilization on the unit varied from 40-70% with an average use of 62%. The desired proper use for this pasture as used in 1968 is 30 percent. This use factor is based on the following:

The pasture is generally in low poor condition.
This pasture is dominated by blue grama with a very low percentage of cool season species in the pasture's forage composition. To make use of winter moisture, a more even balance between the warm season growers and the cool season growers should be achieved, 50-50% instead of existing 80-20% in favor of blue grama.
Snake Ridge has an abundance of invader species such as pussytoes and snakeweed.

The Snake Ridge pasture was used for a little over one month for an estimated 670 animal months.

B. Heifer Pasture

The Heifer pasture is in the south central portion of the allotment. This pasture is in a homogeneous pine type with a relatively flat aspect. Heifer pasture's forage composition consists of Arizona fescue, squirreltail, black dropseed, blue grama, with a trace of mountain muhly, and pine dropseed. This pasture is generally in a fair range condition.

The only available water (Linkdart Tank) is in the northwestern portion of the unit.

Considerable regrowth occurred within this unit between the time of the inspection and the date the cattle were removed from the area. This regrowth presented some problems in determining both utilization and production. However, the inspectors did feel that the use varied from 30 to 70 %, with an average use of 44%.

The desired proper use for this pasture as used in 1968 is 45%. This use factor is based on the following:

The pasture is generally in a fair condition with a fairly desirable distribution of species within the composition.
Only a small area indicated extreme (over 65%) use.
The season of use within this unit was of short duration which resulted in a reasonable degree of deferment for both the cool and warm season growers.

The Heifer pasture was used heavily for less than one half a month for an estimated 157 animal months.

C. Horse Pasture

The Horse pasture is within the central portion of the allotment and connects to the south side of Harris Park. This pasture is very similar to Heifer pasture in both its vegetation and aspect. The major difference is the private land which is an open meadow with forage consisting of reseeded species and spike muhly. The pasture's range condition is fair.

The livestock waters for the Horse pasture are in Harris Park.

At the time of the inspection use within this pasture was 40% (However, during the late October inspection of the Pine pasture indications were that additional use had occurred within this unit thus raising the estimated use to 50-60%. This additional use was not refigured into the production and utilization data as this pasture is small in size and any difference in capacity as related to the allotment as a whole is relatively minor. Also this pasture is in a high fair condition and can absorb the additional use under a planned management system.)

The desired proper use for the pasture as used at the time of the study is 50%. This use factor is based on the following:

This pasture is in a fair condition with a good species composition.
Moderate use was evenly distributed over the pasture.

The Horse pasture was used approximately three months for an estimated 90 animal months.

D. Steer Pasture

This pasture is located in the southeastern portion of the allotment. The vegetation consists of open parks, and relatively open to dense stands of timber. Steer pasture's topography is rolling to flat, cut by Willow Valley along the eastern edge. The forage species range from blue grama to Arizona fescue and mountain muhly. Range condition in the western portion is very poor to fair and improving to good condition on the eastern edge. Livestock waters are located along the west and north sides of the unit with Brockie tank in the west central portion.

Forage utilization ranged from 10 to 80% within the pastures with an average use of 43%.

The desirable proper use for this pasture as used in 1968 is 30%. This use factor is based on the following:

This pasture has some of the best range condition and more desirable composition of any pasture on the allotment and it did receive complete cool season species deferment, however.
This pasture has a very wide spread of range condition, forage production and utilization.
Over 40% of the pasture was used in excess of 65%. This heavy use has also apparently resulted in the past as these areas produce only 22% of the pastures forage. These areas also represent the most potentially productive areas within the pasture.

The Steer pasture was used for a little over one month by the bulk of the herd for approximately 576 animal months.

E. Pine Pasture

This pasture consists of the northeast quarter of the allotment. The overstory vegetation varies from relatively open to very dense stands of timber. The Pine Pasture forage plants are primarily blue grama with a scattering of other species such as squirreltail, Arizona fescue, black dropseed, and pine dropseed. Undesirable species such as snakeweed, pussytoes and threeawn are abundant throughout the pasture. Utilization on seeded species such as orchard grass and smooth brome is extremely heavy throughout the area.

The pasture is fairly well watered with the exception of the central portion.

Forage utilization ranged from 20 to 80% with an average of 45%. Nearly all of the extreme and heavy use occurred within the western half of the pasture.

The desirable proper use for this pasture as used in 1968 is 40%. This use factor is based on the following:

With the exception of the excess horse use this pasture received complete cool species deferment (spring) and nearly complete warm (summer) species deferment.
The pasture is basically in a poor range condition with a small area in the central portion in a high poor or low fair condition.
The excess horse use contributed to the large amount of extreme use within the western portion of the pasture as they used this area continually from early spring on through the entire grazing season.

IV. Summary

The Summary of Use Tabulation located with the Appendix shows that the Walker Basin (S) Allotment was overstocked approximately 30 percent. I feel that this figure is reasonably accurate for the 1968 grazing season but does not represent the average condition for the past three grazing seasons that I have been on the Long Valley District. Some of the factors which affected the 30% overstocking for 1968 are:

Although the area had a good, but late, spring growing season the summer growing season was very poor. Precipitation in the woodland type was below normal. Precipitation was generally spotty within the pine type. Forage generally stayed green throughout the summer in the pine type but put on very little growth as a result of the lower summer temperatures and spotty rainfall. The reduced forage production was reflected in calf shipping weights on this and nearby allotments. Calf weights were off 30 to 50 pounds as compared to 1967.
The excess horse use (approximately 18) on this allotment has created a much larger impact on the forage utilization and production in the western portion of the Pine and Horse Knoll pastures than the permittee felt possible. If one considers one horse equal to one and a half cows and that they use this area 12 months, this results in 324 animal months or an equivalent of 50 or 60 cows for the normal five month season. If this figure is added to or subtracted from the present stocking rate this results in over a 10% change which is significant.
Because of two reasons: (1) very poor 1968 forage production within the woodland type and winter allotment, and (2) plans to ship from Mahan Park, the permittee slowed down his rotation schedule to the point where he obtained excessive extreme use. This was especially noted in the Snake Ridge and Steer pastures.
As a result of the items discussed in number 3, the livestock will be on the allotment slightly longer than the planned period of 5 months. Because of the poor summer growing season in the woodland type we have had to deviate somewhat from the plan for fall use. Both the Horse Knoll and Snake Ridge pastures are being used this fall. This use can be slightly beneficial this fall as it occurs after seed (very light crop) maturity and will help plant some of this seed. The negative results of this use is that there will be less forage to come back to on the Horse Knoll pasture next spring.
Minor problems did develop in the reconstruction of FH-3 and the right-of-way fencing program. This activity made it difficult to use this area as planned and undoubtedly added to some of the extreme use in the Steer and Pine pastures.

Since the nonuse was placed into effect there has been one major ray of light which indicates some range improvement. Squirreltail has shown a definite increase within the Pine and Snake Ridge pastures. However, part of this cool season growers success has probably been at the expense of the more palatable seeded cool weather species such as orchard grass and smooth brome. Almost without exception use on these seeded species, (345 K.V. powerline, spur roads, skid trails, and landings) is in excess of 70%. The excess horse use in the Horse Knoll pasture has nearly cancelled out any squirreltail gains in that pasture.

For the 1968 grazing period I estimate the capacity as 400 cattle and 10 horses for a five month season.

With the elimination of the excess horse situation, a small reduction in saddle horse use, and closer adherence to a desirable rotation schedule the estimated capacity should be within 10 to 20% of the present stocking rate of 490 cattle.

V. Improvements

During this inspection some range improvements came to mind and should be seriously considered for future work on this allotment.

345 K.V. powerline - Drastic measures need to be taken to control use along this right-of-way. (This area has the potential of producing 3 to 5 times the forage of adjacent areas.) Snake Ridge, Toilet Paper, Banfield, and Kitty Pan stock tanks should be fenced.
Steer pasture - the western third of this unit has a high forage producing potential. Bow Ribbon and Dozer stock waters should be fenced. A revegetation program of spraying weeds such as pussytoes and seeding would be highly beneficial.
Pine pasture - Utilization and range condition indicate that the planned division of this pasture (between Bow Ribbon and Hollingshead) would be beneficial.
A weed spraying and seeding program (snakeweed, pussytoes, and annuals) would be beneficial within nearly all of the open areas on the allotment and would result in much faster forage production gains than any other revegetation practice including juniper control and probably have longer lasting benefits.
Very careful study should be made before we permit the development of additional water in any area which receives continual use in excess of 65%.
Heifer pasture - When it becomes time to reconstruct the Heifer pasture, west boundary fence, consideration should be given to the moving of this fence to the west (approximately on the type line between woodland and pine) to simplify management and make the heifer pasture a larger unit. Additional water in the southwest corner of the unit would be helpful.