City of Las Vegas Municipal Watershed

 

1. Name - City of Las Vegas Municipal Watershed

Context | Objectives | Treatment Specifics | Utilization | Targets | Pre Treatment data | Post Treatment data | Links 

Southwest Environmental Consultants (SEC) of Sedona, Arizona, was contracted to perform the ecological oversight and monitoring component of this project. The on-the-ground restoration component was shared by two primary contractors: Barela Timber Management Company (BTMC) of Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Southwest Wood Products & Thinning (SWWPT) of Cleveland, New Mexico.


View of the Las Vegas watershed.

BTMC began the implementation component. As there were no pre-existing roads, the initial on-the-ground work consisted of road construction. The roads were left in place for fire protection access. BTMC gained valuable insight into the effectiveness of certain machinery, particularly the FECON feller buncher and masticator, which had continuous problems due to clogging of the air filter and broken bolts on the tracks. The terrain was characterized as quite rough, steep, and rocky with a large percentage of the treatment area (approximately 60 to 65%) on slopes exceeding 40 to 45%.

BTMC recalls that material was available for removal, but the majority was of poor quality because the focus of the treatment was on leaving the best trees. Firewood was the primary product for utilization. Mulch was made with the lowest quality material. Where prescribed, limbs were broadcast-chipped on site.


The treated stand is on the left and an untreated stand is on the right.

With the cost of chipping included, BTMC estimates that they lost money on the project. However, the project inspired them to apply for a Collaborative Forest Restoration Project (CFRP) grant entitled Total Utilization Prescription, which was awarded in 2007 to treat 300 acres of Forest Service land. BTMC was able to further leverage the project into a Forest Products Laboratory Woody Biomass grant to purchase three pieces of used equipment, including a 50-yard chip truck, a horizontal grinder, and a processor.

SWWPT thinned 111 acres by hand. Of the 111 acres, only 59 acres had a material removal component. That material was cut to 4-foot lengths and brought to the side of the road. The Forest Service (USFS) was notified that the wood was available for the taking. Approximately 150 cords of wood were distributed to the community for the cost of the USFS permit. The material from the remaining acres was cut and piled, with the slash slated for later burning, which has not yet happened. The wood remains stacked with no removal date in sight due to access limitations. For example, the nearest road is on the other side of a river.

Links

• Treatment Map