Aldos Silver City • Entered by Marcia Stout on August 9, 2025
Riparian – Grazing Monitoring
July 1, 2025 – July 31, 2025
Participants and Hours
| Pre Planning hours | |
| Post Admin hours | 1.5 |
| Activity Hours | 9.25 |
| Participants | 6 |
| Total Hours | 57 |
Key Issue: Livestock Grazing Management
Activity Type: Stewardship (monitoring, sampling, planting, etc.)
Key Partners: Gila National Forest
Landscape/area: Gila National Forest (2658321 acres)
Measurable Outcomes
Outcome 1: Trail/land monitored (2 surveys)
Outcome 2: Hiked (7.5 miles)
Short Description of Activity
On July 11, four team members monitored the Gila River Bird Conservation area while meeting with Upper Gila Watershed Alliance Executive Director. Our monitoring was combined with learning about UGWA’s proposed grant to upgrade fences for more effective exclusion of cattle in this important exclosure area. No cows were observed, however lots of recent trampling and sign was evident. The group heard a yellow-billed cuckoo and saw several Black Hawks. On July 25, three of our team members monitored the San Francisco River exclosure heading upstream from Head of the Ditch campground (Quemado District). We observed no recent cattle sign. We did see elk sign. That stretch of the river was mostly dry even after the recent rains with just small, scattered pools of water and we observed fish in these pools.
Reflection/Evaluation
Going out in the field with UGWA staff and increasing communication with them has been helpful for our overall grazing monitoring effort. We are in complete support of their fencing grant proposal and its specific recommendations. It will be good to continue and strengthen our communications with such local environmental non-profits regarding the livestock grazing issue, including monitoring of some of the exclosures around springs which they funded.
Photos/Uploads
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Photo Captions
1. Several of our team members out enjoying our monitoring hike along the San Francisco River exclosure (July 25, heading upstream from Head Of the Ditch campground.)
2. Heading further up the San Francisco river canyon while monitoring on July 25, 2025.