Showalter Bench

1957

2003

2005

Description:

Plate 177X. Showalter Bench 1957 – 2003 - 2005 Viewed northwest over lower Showalter Bench with Casto Peak (9,580 ft.) on the left skyline and Flat Top (9,374 ft.) on the right. The area in the foreground was root-plowed and reseeded to eliminate sagebrush and to improve range conditions. Black sage and mountain big sage have now returned. Crested wheatgrass is still present, but was heavily grazed by cattle and domestic sheep in 2003. The wire range cage had been knocked-over and was repositioned for the retake, which is why there are no ungrazed grass plants inside the cage. Many sagebrush plants have died during the recent drought. Native needle and thread was also present. According to H.E. Gregory (see Plate 180x), this area was formerly cultivated, abandoned, and then reinvaded by sagebrush prior to being treated by the Forest Service during the early 1950s as part of the Pines Reseeding. Conifers have increased on the distant hillsides, except where burned by the Sanford fire in 2002. The second retake was made in 2005 after an exceedingly wet winter and spring, and although the area was still grazed by cattle, forage production had increased dramatically - - mostly needle and thread.

Photo Information:

U.S. Forest Service photograph (unnumbered) taken on October 11, 1957; retakes by Charles E. Kay on July 14, 2003 - - Photo No. 5184-24 and July 28, 2005 - - Photo No. 5480-1. Original photograph held by Southern Utah University Archives and Special Collections, Cedar City, UT.

Vegetative Community:

Sagebrush

Location:

South West: Section 19, Range 3 West, Township 35 South; UTM 398550E, 4178400N; elevation 7,670 ft.

January 2018