S2979 Fort Churchill - Pasture Management Plan.pdf

Fort Churchill Grazing Lease Agreement RFP 70CNR-2979

ATTACHMENT D

STATE OF NEVADA

FORT CHURCHILL PASTURE MANAGEMENT PLAN

DePaoli Section

The DePaoli section includes the portion of the ranch property located west of the highway 95A, And upstream to approximately 300 yards before the diversion dam at the BLM boundary. This section includes property both North and South of the Carson River. This section is bounded on the north by the Fort Churchill Road and on the south by the fence line bordering BLM owned lands.

The DePaoli section totals 1,014 acres of which approximately 1,004 are included in the lease. The

Orchard Area west of Buckland Station section (L) is not included in the lease, this area has been developed into a Day Use Area. Stocking rates on this section are 75 – 100 cows or pairs from May through September for a total of 450 to 600 AUM’s per season. This assumes an 80% (normal) water year and will be increased or decreased accordingly. Upland and riparian areas should be fed off during the first month (May) with prescribed grazing practices. Several upland areas are not currently being fed at any level, the water year will determine duration and stocking rates. The prescribed grazing will occur at locations that are mutually agreed upon by the lessor and lessee.

Rotation of pastures is required following the guidelines of this plan along with irrigation to follow immediately after cattle removal.

Rotation Schedule (A) Hay will not be cut:

Turn out date May 1st

Pasture A and B -30 AU’s rotated between A and B on 3 week intervals.

Pasture C, E, and G -40 AU’s rotated on two week intervals.

Pasture D, F, and H -70 AU’s rotated on two week intervals.

Pasture I, J -20 AU’s two weeks pasture I, one week pasture J.

Note: Pasture L has been developed as a Day Use Area with Management toward recreation and public use only. The lessee will continue to flood irrigate this pasture on days designated by the Park

Supervisor.

Section M – Minimal grazing potential, this area must be fed off first if possible by means of prescribed grazing to reduce the impacts of cattle in riparian habitat and the park’s trail system. Lessee may need to use temporary fencing to achieve this goal. Proper rotation and stocking rates will be determined by mutual agreement.

Section N – minimal grazing potential, this area must be utilized first if possible by means of prescribed grazing. Currently no grazing is occurring in this section. Proper rotation and stocking rates will be a cooperative agreement.

Section O – fair to minimal grazing potential, this area must be utilized first if possible by means of prescribed grazing. May need to use temporary fencing to achieve this goal. Proper rotation and stocking rates will be a cooperative agreement.

The reasons for sections M,N, and O to be grazed first is to take advantage of the time of year for the best forage. Park Staff would like to incorporate these sections into the rotation and to reduce cattle entering into park facilities. We have noticed that this area is not utilized until late in the grazing season, the forage levels by this time have dropped and cows tend to try to get into public use areas that are fenced off. This will also give an interval of time for other sections of the DePaoli Ranch property, the proper time to regenerate and produce a more vigorous grass pasture. This will also allow the ranch hand or park staff more time to be more thorough with spraying noxious weeds before cattle are brought into the pastures. These three sections could be fed off in succession or all at one time if cattle are separated properly for a determined length of grazing.

Grazing is not available in section K; corrals are available for the lessee use in this section.

Removal date is September 15th. Grazing period is six months but may be reduced or extended based on water availability and pasture conditions. Length of grazing season will be discussed by the lessee and Park Supervisor throughout the season and any changes that are needed will be at first mutually agreed upon. If needed the Nevada State Parks will determine the length of the grazing season if the lessee does not participate in this process.

Rotation Schedule (B) Hay will be cut:

Pasture A, F, and H have historically been cut for alfalfa and grass hay production. Pasture A is considered marginal with primarily grass and old alfalfa. Historically this pasture has not been utilized for this purpose, instead it is considered a grazing pasture. Pastures F and H have produced average quality hay/grass with 3 cuts per season during normal precipitation years, 4th crop is historically grazed but not recently. Pastures F and H historically have produced approximately 40 tons per cut of grasses and alfalfa.

The DePaoli section can support 80 – 100 AU’s if hay is cut and the 3rd or 4th crop is left for grazing purposes.

Pastures A,B,C, and D – 30 AU’s, three weeks pasture A and B, one week pasture C, two weeks

Pasture D.

Pasture E, G, and I – 30 AU’s, two week intervals.

Pasture J – 20 AU’s, one week interval.

Pastures M, N, and O. See notes above for these pastures, will follow guidelines in Rotation A

Schedule.

Removal Date is September 15th. Grazing period is six months but may be reduced or extended based on water availability and pasture conditions. Length of grazing will be discussed by the lessee and the

Park Supervisor throughout the season and any changes will be mutually agreed upon. If there is no feedback the season will be determined by Nevada State Parks.

Ghiglia Section

The Ghiglia section includes that portion of the Carson River Ranches east of Highway 95 A, downstream to the boundary fence of the Amerongen section near the access of Horse Camp. The

Ghiglia section includes 891 acres of which approximately 700 acres are available for grazing. Grazing is not permitted from Highway 95 A to the cross fence approximately 1000 yards downstream of the scout camp. This segment is closed to grazing and is instead managed for public recreation with day use areas and campgrounds. The park has developed this area for frequent and concentrated visitor use that is not consistent with grazing practices.

The Ghiglia Section that is grazed will be divided into two smaller subsections that will be approximately

350 acres each. An east to west cross fence will need to be installed located near the Overlook

Access. Also a new fence line will need to be constructed along the river approximately 50 yards from the Carson River’s mean high water mark throughout this section. This strip of acreage is made up of sensitive riparian habitat and cottonwood forest that should only be grazed by prescribed grazing practices. The Carson River Ranches trail system placement is within this acreage throughout this section of the ranch property.

Agricultural wells will be needed to provide stock water for cattle grazing this section. The agricultural well should be placed in the same area as the cross fence for these two subsections. Water troughs or ponds could be developed for both sides in this area. The secondary plan would be after the domestic well at Scout Camp is finished, irrigation piping could be added to that system and run to a trough system located at the cross fence next to Scout Camp. The Carson River will be as a third choice only as necessary. Temporary wire drop gates could be placed at designated sites for cattle access to water from the river.

The Ghiglia Pasture 1 will support 40 – 50 AU’s from May through October for a total of 240 – 300

AUM’s. This pasture incorporates the area from the cross fence located near Scout Camp to the new cross fence located at the Overlook. This pasture has suffered from insufficient grazing in the past and as a result contains primarily old grasses and large areas of rabbitbrush and sagebrush encroachment resulting from the cessation of farming and ranching this pasture in the 1960’s. This pasture should be utilized first to graze on all early emerging grasses and upland bushes. This pasture is the least impacted if a flood event occurs. Currently, this pasture is underutilized for grazing purposes.

The Ghiglia Pasture 2 will support 40 – 50 AU’s from July through December for a total of 240 to 300

AUM’s. This pasture incorporates the area from the cross fence located near the Overlook to the cross fence located at Horse Camp. This pasture is very susceptible to flooding even during years of normal or near normal water years. The grass quantity and quality are very good throughout this pasture. This area should be fed off later in the season after flooding has receded and soils dry out. Grazing should be intense for the first few months and gradually decreased during the six month grazing season.

The new agricultural well will also function to some degree as a supplemental source for flood irrigation of pastures and to benefit wildlife habitat located in this area.

Currently, both pastures do not contain any functioning wells, ditches and stock water developments.

Only a few small streams that meander seasonally through the G2 pasture.

Turn out dates for Pasture G1 Early Season (May-July), Late Season (September-October)

Turn out dates for Pasture G2 Early Season (July-September), Late Season (October-November)

Weed control will be a joint effort between Lessee and Lessor as specified in the above section.

The Lessee and Park Staff will be responsible for operating and maintaining the new agricultural well.

The Lessee and Park Staff will be responsible to fill out an irrigation log for the usage of the well.

Lessee will be responsible for maintaining all fence lines, gates in operational condition. This follows what was stated above.

Amerongen Section

The Amerongen section of the Carson River Ranches includes 1,316 acres on that portion downstream of the Ghiglia boundary at the cross fence located at the Horse Camp and extends downstream to the

Lahontan State Recreation Area Boundary. The Amerongen section will be divided into three smaller subsections, each pasture will be approximately 439 acres. Each subsection will support approximately

95 AU’s for the six month grazing season. This is a total of 1710 AUM’s per grazing season. At the location of Horse Camp (an area approximately 5 acres) will be incorporated as a public use area and no grazing will be allowed.

A cross fence is needed (east to west) to separate pastures it should be located near the large pond that was rebuilt in 2001. There will also be several existing internal fence lines that need repairs to achieve this goal.

A separate new fence line will be needed on the North side (Pasture A1) that would be a continuation of the USFWS fence line to the parks boundary fence with Lahontan State Recreation Area. Potentially this fence might not be needed depending on what we do to the South side or pasture A2.

The last fence line needed would be the continuation of the line that started with the Ghiglia section that would be 50 yards from the mean high water mark on the south side of the ranch properties. This fence line would run throughout the Amerongan Section. Most of this fence line is already existing.

Minimal work will be needed in this section from Horse Camp to the northeast property boundary with

Lahontan State Recreation Area.

The boundary fence between Fort Churchill State Park and Lahontan State Recreation Area also needs some repair work done to it. Park Staff suggests installing some Powder River gates that would be locked and only opened by Park Staff. We want to prevent any of the lessee’s cattle from trespassing on all adjacent lands to the park. We have had several problems regarding this issue over the past few years.

One additional well will be needed for stock water, possibly supplemental flood irrigation capabilities that would be located near the Horse Camp Access. This will allow stock water capabilities and access to the three pastures that make up the Amerongen section. This will also allow us to irrigate particular areas for better pasture production and improve wildlife habitat. This will lessen the burden for cattle to impact riparian habitat, woodland areas and river banks (stream side), however still providing access to water resources.

Pasture Amerongen 2 should be the first pasture utilized for grazing, it is the least susceptible to flood events. This pasture should be grazed starting in May, grazing should be monitored each month to determine if a rotation is needed. This pasture should receive at least 2 months of no grazing before it is utilized again. Pasture A2 will support approximately 95 AU’s per month; 570 AU’s for six months of the grazing season. Any alterations will be agreed upon between the lessee and the Park Supervisor.

Stock water is currently available for utilization for this pasture provided by the Hercules Well.

Pasture Amerongen 3 will be heavily impacted by seasonal floods from April through June, even during normal water years. During this time it is recommended to reduce the AUM’s for this pasture during this time of year. Grazing should begin whenever flood waters recede, sometime between May and

June depending on the water year. Pasture A3 will support approximately 95 AU’s per month; 570

AU’s for six months on the grazing season. This pasture would be best utilized for late season grazing.

A new well is needed for this pasture as stated above for its purpose. Any alterations will be agreed upon between the lessee and the Park Supervisor. This pasture should get at least two months of no grazing before it is utilized again.

Pasture Amerongen 1 also will be heavily impacted by seasonal floods from April through June, even during normal water years. During this time it is recommended that no grazing occurs in this pasture until the river recedes. Grazing could start whenever flood waters recede, sometime between May and

June depending on the water year. Pasture A1 will support approximately 95 AU’s per month; 570

AU’s for six month grazing season. This pasture would be best to utilize just after the seasonal flood event for a few months of intense grazing and then utilized as a late season grazing pasture. Pasture

1A, currently has an agricultural well (electric) that will be used to provide stock water and supplemental irrigation as needed.

Specifics regarding the two existing wells are as follows. A 1500 gpm diesel powered pump at the

Hercules Access with 670 acre feet supplemental water rights to primarily irrigate 76 acres of intermediate wheatgrass planted in the 1980’s. A second electric well is located on the north side of the Carson River to supply supplemental water to irrigate a 25 acre field. Park Staff believes that we need to extend this irrigation system to better meet the needs of the lessee. Also, the Amerongen pasture 1 includes 179 acres of water rights (1864) however water from the Buckland Ditch seldom reaches this pasture. Improvements needed to make Buckland Ditch more efficient so possibly more water resources could be utilized for this pasture in the future.

A corral will be needed for the lessee to load and unload cows. The best locations for the corral would be near the cross fence by the Scout Camp or at Hercules Access near the small pond. Small gathering pastures will also be needed at this location.