Monitoring the Effects of Management on Stream Channels and Streamside Vegetation (MIM): Phase 3

This project took place in Wallowa County, Oregon on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (WWNF). Within the WWNF there are 182 stream reaches which host federally listed fish species that are also located within 33 grazing allotments. Managing these allotments to reduce negative effects to streams, and ultimately to fish, is a high priority for WWNF and is specifically targeted in the Forest Plan. In this project – phase 3 – we established 13 Multiple Indicator Monitoring (MIM) plots, which include long term and short-term indicators to adaptively manage in-stream and riparian resources. The MIM protocol is designed to be objective, efficient, and effective for monitoring stream banks, stream channels, and stream side riparian vegetation. This protocol is considered to be the best available and is used by the National Marine Fisheries Service when evaluating grazing impacts. 128 pastures across the 33 allotments require MIM plots on the WWNF. Most of these sites are actively grazed, others serve as reference sites. OWEBs support for this project in all three phases was crucial to establish these long-term monitoring sites, as FS capacity to create new plots was limited.

Interest in riparian area management has increased tremendously over the past 25 years. This interest has created a growing need to effectively monitor the attributes and processes that occur in these valuable systems. Monitoring the most sensitive attributes is critical to understanding how management influences streams and riparian areas. Monitoring within stream channels and at their margins is particularly useful to the management of stream dependent resources, including water quality and quantity, aquatic biota, and near-stream terrestrial biota (Winward 2000).

Annual indicators of use alone do not provide adequate information from which to make good decisions (University of Idaho Stubble Height Study Team 2004). Information about the short-term indicators of livestock use, combined with long-term indicators of condition, is key to identifying cause-and-effect relationships between livestock grazing and stream-riparian function. This information is important for making good management decisions. Because of site and management complexity, it may not be possible to know in advance which indicator(s) best detect management influences on stream and streamside riparian vegetation condition. For that reason, using multiple indicators is suggested as a more complete and useful approach.

Salmon and steelhead will benefit from this monitoring through a greater understanding of how grazing affects streams and riparian vegetation. Understanding that affect will lead to better adaptations and management decisions to ensure the health and condition of ESA fish bearing streams and associated riparian vegetation.