SUBLETTE COUNTY EQIP PROGRAM

The Sublette County Local Work Group has identified priorities which fall under four main groups: water quantity (irrigation water management) on irrigated lands, water quality associated with animal feeding operations (AFOs) near water bodies, plant community health on grazing lands, and soil erosion on irrigated lands or rangeland. Details by group are as follows:

IRRIGATED LANDS - This priority supports the national priority to conserve ground and surface water resources.  The local priority focuses (in order of importance) on: 

1. Aging infrastructure of delivery systems to fields (e.g. headgate at point of diversion combined with in-stream structures such as rock vortex weirs for grade control)

2. On-farm flood irrigation re-organization (e.g. drop structures, water control structures, field ditch reorganization) Use plant community as the indicator of improved Irrigation Water Management (IWM)

3. Low efficiency flood irrigation systems converted to sprinklers

4. Work to reduce risk potential of water impairment, specifically AFO/CAFO’s.

5. Sheet/Rill/Gully erosion

6. Streambank Stabilization

GRAZING LANDS - This priority will address the national priority to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation from agricultural lands and promote at-risk species habitat recovery. It will also help mitigate the adverse effects of long-term drought which continues to persist in this part of Wyoming.  The local priority focuses (in the order of importance) on providing: 

1. Brucellosis Risk Reduction.

2. Dependable stockwater to improve grazing distribution.

3. Ecological condition of rangeland (excessive sagebrush density/single age structure of sagebrush/biological diversity)

4. Presence of and desire to address noxious and invasive weeds.

5. Fire Risks/Fuels Management on forested private Lands, including those which interface with forested public lands.

6. Sheet/Rill/Gully erosion 

 AT RISK WILDLIFE SPECIES CONSERVATION (SAGE GROUSE) 

1. Predator control (e.g. foxes, coyotes, raccoons, crows, ravens)
2. Ecological condition of rangeland (see #2 under Grazing Lands)