The outlook for this Fall through Spring is looking optimistic for cattle management and trail damage prevention. The park supervisor, park district grazing manager, and the grazer are working together to try to put infrastructure in place that will allow options to prevent trail damage from grazing in the winter.
– The plan for cattle rotation this coming wet season is to have the cattle out of the top and middle fields of Soaring Eagle, Sugar City, and Tree Frog trails. The grazer has several alternative pastures adjacent and off site where the cattle are planned to be moved before significant rainfall this season.
– The park district continues to seek a viable water well in the top field and had a seismic electro survey done. Results from the survey are not back yet but they continue to work to find a reliable water source for the top pasture.
– Clean out of the pond near Soaring Eagle trail is scheduled to happen before the end of this year.. Clean out of the pond will provide more storage for rain water and more flexibility for grazing during the following dry season.
– Extension of water line from the water trough at the top of Goldfinch to the new corral has been completed. This is part of the work that relocated the corral at Warep trail and should reduce damage to trail and fire road in that area.
These combined steps have a good chance of getting back to the low trail impact we’d seen from grazing for a number of years.
