kara dohrenwend rim to rim restoration...

Kara Dohrenwend

Rim to Rim RestorationMoab,Utah

© Vicki Zoller

The NRCS Plant Materials Centers carved the Colorado Plateau into pieces. At the time these centers were established few people understood the unique characteristics of the Colorado Plateau.

Hwy 128 (the River Road near Moab) and Hwy 12 (connecting Torrey to Boulder) were not fully paved until the mid 1980s.

Photo 1973, Hwy 128 near Fisher TowersBill Benge, courtesy of the Canyon Country Zephyr

Mayberry Native Plant Propagation Center was an old Peach Orchard established by Doctor Paul R. Mayberry. The orchard and surrounding acreage was bought by TNC. The orchard was replanted but most of the trees died by the late 1990s.

In 2009 Rim to Rim Restoration purchased the property to convert the old orchard into a native plant propagation and research facility.

Located only 16 miles from Moab, with a 1 cfs right to Colorado River water provided a great opportunity.

14 acres of knapweed, no storage, and no good way to draw irrigation water, as well as 750 standing dead trees slowed down the process.

CHALLENGES RESULTS

Knapweed 95% controlled –expect 100% in 2016 (will monitor in future)

Dead trees removed

Wells to draw sediment and seed free river water

1 mile of mainline pipe, with risers

Barn built

1000 regionally sourced trees and shrubs in field dividers and shelterbelts planted in 2013&14

Knapweed on approx. 14 acres

750 dead fruit trees

Non functional irrigation

Storage non existent

Community expectations

USU used the Mayberry as a test site for their EMI in 2011. This has given us soil salinity at various depths information for most of the production area.

VEGETATION RESPONSE MONITORING SITES

Vegetation Response Transects were set up in 2007 at three tamarisk removal locations on the property, and one just upstream. Line intercept data was collected every year for 4 years, and will be collected again in 2016.

Monitoring data also includes a list of vegetation present on the entire site just after removal; this list is revisited during each data collection.

Initial data summary analysis graphs at all sites completed in 2013. This led to a four year data collection cycle.

One mile of mainline pipe 3’ down with stub outs for spray and drip irrigation.

2012

2013 2014

Two shallow wells:

high volume for growing season use & low volume for winter needs

Longstem, tall pot, standard #1 and tubes grown from seed collected in the region and planted for field division, shelterbelts and screening.

Establishment, growth, and irrigation records will help us evaluate the best starting plant sizes for re-establishment in the field.

Plant Code Source Longstem #1 pottube/con

e

Cottonwood POFR Matheson wetlands 0 0 0

Cottonwood POFR Deer Creek, Boulder UT 19 0 0

Netleaf Hackberry CERE Moki Canyon 5 15 0

Box Elder ACNE Castle Valley 27 0 0

River/Waterbirch BENI Mill Creek, Moab 24 0 0

Goodings Willow SAGO Matheson wetlands 12 0 0

Single leaf Ash FRAN Beckstrand 0 20 0

NM Privet FONE Roberts Bottom 78 0 93

Silverleaf Buffalo Berry SHAR Deer Creek, Boulder UT 0 70 0

Cliff Fendlerbush FERU Moab 0 16 0

Three leaf sumac RHTR Mill Creek, Moab 113 22 94

Grow low sumac RHAR GL cultivar 0 20 0

Golden Currant RIAU Mill Creek, Moab 0 29 10

Woods Rose ROWO Mill Creek, Moab 0 22 0

Little Leaf Mock Orange PHMI Moab 0 19 0

Desert holly MAFR Roberts Bottom 0 19 36

Curl Leaf Mahogany CELE Moab/JD Norman 0 20 0

Cliffrose PUME Moab 0 20 0

Fourwing Saltbush ATCA Dolores (SW Seed) 0 52 0

Threadleaf Sage ARFI Navajo Ridge Moab 0 28 0

Big Sage ARTR Mill Creek Drive, Moab 0 49 0

TOTAL NUMBER OF PLANTS by container 278 421 233

The “crop circle” experimentTesting methods to remove the old flood ditches

A game fence installed in February 2016 acts as an exclosure for approximately 1.3 acres for containerized production.

Bee plant and other pollinator plants will be started in a few “secluded” areas surrounded by mature three leaf sumac in 2016.

Weed control/site management

Replacement plantings in seed belts

Test seeding for woody shrub reestablishment

Seed increase annuals

Pollinator gardens and habitat improvements (Moab BIG)

© Vicki Zoller

OTHER PROJECTS THAT CAN PROVIDE INSIGHT AND INFORMATION TO

RESEARCHERS AND LAND MANAGERS?

Forestiera pubescens

Photo NRCS

Very large and unwieldy to haul onto a site.

Test seeding techniques for woody shrub reestablishment

Longstems & tallpots are even harder to transport

• Adaptable to soil types• Adaptable to moisture

availability• Good forage – fruit and

pollinators• VERY slow growing in

containers

Test seeding techniques for woody shrub reestablishment

Forestiera pubescens

• Seed manually• Seeding timing• Seedling protection• Meter water

Time consuming but combined with containers on some sites this might be a winning strategy

Test seeding techniques for woody shrub reestablishment

Forestiera pubescens

CONTACT:

Kara Dohrenwendkara@reveg.org 435-