Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho -- Photo Essay by Mike Hudak

Burnt Creek Exclosure
Managed by Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Challis Field Office, ID

August 2002

Photo essay by Mike Hudak, author of
Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching

In 1988 a cattle exclosure was constructed on Burnt Creek in the Pahsimeroi Valley of Idaho as an experiment in protecting bull trout habitat from degradation by cattle ranching. Bull trout in this population were federally listed as a threatened species in 1998.

The exclosure, bisected by Forest Road #118, is located at UTM coordinates 0289454/4900002 at an elevation of 7,210 feet above sea level.

Fenceline contrast: outside eastern section of Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Outside the eastern section of the exclosure, Burnt Creek exhibits the typical appearance of a Western stream impacted by both long-term and ongoing cattle grazing: a wide, shallow channel, closely cropped vegetation and eroded banks. Water in such a stream will generally be warmer during daylight hours than in one that is deep, narrow and grass-shaded. Bull trout prefer cool water and require streambed features, such as undercut banks, that have here been destroyed by cattle. Note the greater abundance of vegetation along the stream within the exclosure at top of photo.

Fenceline contrast: eastern section of Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Closer to the boundary of the eastern section differences between the cattle-free interior and cattle-grazed foreground become even more apparent.

Shearing of stream bank, Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Closer examination of the stream’s right bank reveals one factor contributing to the widening of this stream: shearing of the banks by cattle hooves. Weakening of the stabilizing vegetation by grazing and the force of water also contribute to the erosion.

Fenceline contrast: western section of Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

West of Forest Road #118 the stream is open to cattle for the short distance to the exclosure fence. These shallow waters exposed to sunlight will reach temperatures unhealthy to the trout. Erosion initiated by cattle grazing and trampling increases stream sediment which can further heat the water, fill pools used by fish and suffocate their eggs.

Meander in western section, Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Within the western section of the exclosure, Burnt Creek exhibits the serpentine form of a healthy stream. Such meanders slow the flow of water which consequently reduces erosion.

Close-up: meander in Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

Close view of a meander on Burnt Creek within the exclosure displays the characteristic components of a healthy stream. The channel has narrowed to roughly one-third its width outside the exclosure. The roots of lush vegetation stabilize the banks, while stems shade the stream from the hot sun. The stream widens slightly beneath the roots to form "undercut" banks, thereby providing shelter with cooler water for fish.

Fenceline contrast: western section, Burnt Creek Exclosure, Challis Field Office, BLM, Idaho. Photo by Mike Hudak.

The eastward view from within the exclosure’s western section lays bare the changes in the landscape that cattle have brought to the region.