Planned improvement projects on the Richfield and Beaver districts of the Fishlake National Forest have been announced by Forest Supervisor Tobias Martinez.
Watersheds will be seeded and erosion matting installed in the Chokecherry Hollow and Picklekeg Creek drainages on the Salina Creek watershed in the Richfield District. Livestock will be excluded from the area. There has been only minor grazing at the sites.New camping units, road reconstruction and reconstruction of a reservoir will be projects in the Beaver District.
Erosion is a serious problem in the Salina watershed areas, said Richfield District Ranger Rance L. Rollins. The forest resource management plan emphasizes the need for watershed improvements, which will have low impacts on range management.
The ranger said seeding will be done by hand with vegetation that is best suited to increase soil stability. The erosion matting will cover the seed on bare slopes until vegetation is established.
In the Beaver District, six new camping units will be built at the Little Cottonwood Campground. Some existing facilities will also be reconstructed to meet the needs of handicapped users, Martinez said. The campground is six miles east of Beaver.
The Upper Kents Lake Reservoir dam will be reconstructed by the Kents Lake Reservoir Co. It will be raised by 4.5 feet, enlarging the reservoir by 5.5 acres to provide a conservation pool for fisheries.