BK^ 



Yellowstone 



■•III A — SiUinr trttamaiwn prujni in 

 >l,"mi Alfiil/a hiu hfen niaMiihfd ai 

 ■tf<hiutir mm. andihr \iitinr lura 

 ■ lappi'rn lull-lnlrriinl wrjitlidmn 

 atiniiiinng n rll ii iifrdu* meoiiur 

 drpfh lo KTOuaJmalfT- 



Kcgionnl gc4>in)i;y cruilcs unique conditions in ihc Comanche. i>akc. and llaiUlonc hosint. In 

 addition to the sjilincr cn>pland. some anitnol health problenK air tcbtcd In the fongex produocd 

 in this n:{ii(<n and the degnidrxJ wnter ((UAliIy. Ijical pnductrn ore learning lo analy/r ihcir 

 forages ibolh hay and pnslun:) and water sources and then adapt fccdraUonnlocomperuatc for 

 both louc and deficient Icvck of trace mincraU 



A \argc cmwd attended Ihc field tour held May 23, 2000. to view l^one Pnipcrties' tuco^urul 

 tcclamiition pn>)fct. Kesource and animal health '^ciahsts ^umman/ed Ihe rr)iional firology. 

 icclamation plan development, salt tolerant vegetation aiid estahh^hmeni inita.uin.-K. animal 

 hcallh luuck, and tl.S. IVpaiUnrnt of Agncullurr ptugnun&. Sahnc secptcanhcbnMi^lback 

 into cn>p and forage pitxluction when addrvuod concctly. 



onservation District 



406-247-4420 



Ail-ifa/tl^Uihiii .f^ ^.. *.* ..,:.. ;-. 



from Mr lalur mratttm nam tmppom tdU- 



SALINE SEEP 



RECLAMATION 



PROJECT 



Saline soil and water conditions can adversely impact agncultural practices, 

 hut they con he impn>v«i! Ia^ss of productive cropland to saline conditions 

 led l^e Ijinc and hi* family to work on remediation practices near Molt, 

 SlAtling in I'^f). the 1 jnc<i tx'^an working with Montana Salinity (Control 

 AuuKiation (MSCAl and Natural Ke&ourccs Conservation Service (NRCS) 

 to find out what was causing Ihe expanding saline conditions and whal could 

 he done to slow the I«k.s or n:^claiin the land. 



MSCA completed a shallow gnmndwaler invcsli gallon and developed a long- 

 term rrclamation plan. NKCS helped the Ijuies with technical and financial 

 asustancc lo implciTEnI Ihe rrclamatiun measures. I.and-use changes have 

 been gndually adopted hy mtatmg targe recharge areas, which cause the 



saline discharge or seeps, to pea-nnial forage from the crt^vfallow system. 

 The Plant Materials Center provided seed fur a sall-tolcr^nt vegetation 

 cstobbshment tnal 



In addition, the l^nes adi>ple\l a nt-vull intensive cmpping system to tmpnwe 

 soil c4>fiditions and reduce erosion. Concentrating hay pr«xluction in one area 

 creates a greater impact to the shalk^w gnnindwaler system and mokes the 

 farm more efTicienl Ilie conditions have imprt'ved significantly and most of 

 the sahne bnd n now m forage production More forage still needs lo he 

 planted, hut cvcniually the irchargc acres can he rotated hack and forth fn<«n 

 hay to grain The saline areas will remain in perennial vegetation on a 

 permanent hasis 



