Research prescribed burn in Reynolds Creek, Idaho goes smooth

Research Professionals have been planning a prescribed burn in the Upper Reynolds Creek area with local ranchers for more than 20 years. The USDA Agricultural Research Service has been tracking hydrology and rangeland trends in the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed since 1960.
ARS partnered with the Bureau of Land Management, which had the manpower, equipment and expertise to plan and implement the 2,300-acre prescribed burn.
In early October, the BLM had perfect weather conditions for implementing a successful burn project in Johnston Draw.
A key objective was to jump-start the renewal of aging and decadent vegetation with a moderate prescribed burn. They also wanted to learn how the cutting and burning of juniper trees in Johnson Draw would affect streamflow in Reynolds Creek. All told, more than 10 research studies are under way to learn how the prescribed fire influences native plants, wildlife habitat, soils, water quality and more.
Life on the Range will do a follow-up story on the research when the time is right.