Vegetation Studies

Compiled by WaterClaim

• Colorado Tamarisk Study

  Cost to Remove

  • Aerial $200 to $250 an acre - complete kill, no removal of dead material
  • Mechanized mulching - $300 to $550 - killing large acreages of salt cedar or brush
  • Bulldozer - $800 - removal of most vegetation
  • Selective removal - $1,500 (no labor costs included) to $6,800

   

• UNL Panhandle research
  • Saltcedar is the newest plant declared by Nebraska law as a noxious weed. A recent aerial mapping project by the University of Nebraska found that saltcedar infests 4,855 acres along the North Platte River, or 2 percent of the total land area.

   

• Bureau of Reclamation Study by Rand
  • Approximately 50,000 acres of trees on the Republican River main stem in Nebraska in 1973.
  • Predominate species of trees: Cottonwood and Peachleaf Willow.

    Mean Average Frequency over 34 locations across the Republican River Basin

    • 50%    Cottonwood
    • 14%    Peachleaf Willow
    •   8%    Boxelder
    •   8%    Green Ash
    •   7%    Mulberry
    •   4%    Slippery Elm
    •   3%    Russian Olive
    •   2%    American Elm
    •   1%    Hackberry
    •   1%    Bur Oak
    •   1%    Honey Locust
    •  <1%   Sandbar Willow
    •  <1%   Salt Cedar
    • -------
    • 73%    Total (balance open space)

   

• Water use by naturally occuring vegetation
  • Collection of studies

    Summary from collection of studies

  • Seasonal Water Use
    Length of growing season may very by large amount.  See individual papers before drawing conclusions.
    	Consumptive Use in Inches/Acre
    Common Name	Low	High	Reference
    Arrowweed	96	96	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Aspen	10	17	Tew, 1967
    Aspen	13	24	Johnston etal., 1969
    Aspen	19	24	Johnston, 1970
    Aspen	19	19	Croft and Monniger, 1953
    Aspen	19	19	Brown and Thompson, 1965
    Baccharis	32	52	Turner and Halpenny
    Baccharis	56	56	Gatewood etal., 1950
    Buckwheat	3	3	Branson etal., 1970
    Buckwheat	24	24	Patric, 1961
    Buffaloberry	4	90	Meyboom, 1964
    Cattail	35	45	Pratt etal., 1985
    Cattail	53	77	Parshall, 1937
    Cattail	60	60	Christiansen, 1970
    Cattail	63	63	Blaney etal., 1933
    Cattail	90	108	Young and Blaney, 1942
    Cattail	100	100	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Ceanothus	24	24	Patric, 1961
    Chamise	26	26	Patric, 1961
    Chaparral	22	42	Scholl, 1976
    Cottonwood	41	41	Meyboom, 1964
    Cottonwood	60	93	Mixed w/willow, Muckel & Blaney, 1945, see Weeks & Sorey, 1973
    Cottonwood	72	72	Gatewood etal., 1950
    Creosote	10	10	Sammis and Gay, 1979
    Creosote	9	9	Evans etal. 1981
    Fir–Douglas	12	14	Johnston etal., 1969
    Fir–Douglas	18	20	Fritschen etal., 1977
    Fir–General	6	9	Bethell etal., 1980
    Forbs & Grass Mix	17	30	Rowe and Reimann, 1961
    Forest (General)	15	21	Leaf, 1975a
    Forest (General)	17	17	Leaf, 1975b
    Foxtail	6	6	Branson etal. 1970
    Grass	9	9	Brown and Thompson, 1965
    Grass	16	16	Patric, 1961
    Grass–Alta Fescue	19	30	Dylla etal., 1972
    Grass–Bermuda	29	36	Blaney etal., 1933
    Grass–Bermuda	73	73	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Grass–Blue Grama Native	3	18	N Bailey,1940
    Grass–Blue Grama Native	4	4	Branson etal., 1970
    Grass–Blue Grama Native	6	11	Aase, 1970
    Grass–Blue Grama Native	1	1	Reed and Dwyer, 1971
    Grass–Blue Grama Native	24	41	Parshall, 1937
    Grass–Bluejoint	22	35	Dylla etal., 1972
    Grass–Cheat	3	3	Cline etal., 1977
    Grass–Cheat	-	-	Gee and Kirkham, 1984, see Harr and Price, 1972
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	5	10	Wight and Hanks, 1981
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	7	10	Wight and Black, 1977
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	9	10	Wight, 1971
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	13	24	Hammat, 1920
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	17	33	USBR, 1977
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	7	11	Hanson, 1976
    Grass–Meadow Mixed	23	28	Kruse and Haise, 1974
    Grass–Mix	10	48	Houk, 1930
    Grass–Mix	15	15	Weeks and Sorey, 1973
    Grass–Mix	15	23	White, 1932
    Grass–Mix	20	23	Dylla and Muckel, 1964
    Grass–Mix	21	28	USBR, 1977
    Grass–Native	5	20	Johnston etal., 1969
    Grass–Native	9	9	Harrison, 1983
    Grass–Native	19	24	Rich, 1952
    Grass–Needle Mix	11	11	Buckhouse and Coltharp, 1976
    Grass–Needle Mix	12	12	White and Brown, 1972
    Grass–Pasture	8	16	Rowe and Reimann, 1961
    Grass–Pasture	21	27	Ritchie etal., 1976
    Grass–Prairie	8	8	Lauenroth and Sims, 1976
    Grass–Prairie	9	12	Pochop etal., 1985
    Grass–Prairie	10	36	Reported inYoung and Blaney, 1942
    Grass–Prairie	12	12	Parton etal., 1981
    Grass–Salt	6	22	Grosz, 1972
    Grass–Salt	13	42	Young and Blaney, 1933
    Grass–Salt	13	49	Lee, 1915
    Grass–Salt	16	40	Reported inYoung and Blaney, 1942
    Grass–Salt	19	29	USBR, 1973,1979
    Grass–Salt	19	22	Dylla etal., 1972
    Grass–Salt	28	28	Criddle etal., 1964
    Grass–Salt	33	33	Christiansen, 1970
    Grass–Sedge	42	60	Parshall, 1937
    Grass–Sugar	16	22	Hammat, 1920
    Grass–Wheat (Bluebunch)	8	11	Shown etal., 1972
    Grass–Wheat (Tall)	24	32	Dylla etal., 1972
    Grass–Wheat	12	12	Branson etal., 1970
    Greasewood	3	3	Branson etal., 1970
    Greasewood	4	4	Branson etal., 1976
    Greasewood	11	11	Carman, 1986
    Greasewood	12	25	White, 1932
    Greasewood	12	22	Grosz, 1972
    Greasewood	15	18	Robinson, 1970
    Greasewood	21	25	Harr and Price, 1972
    Herbaceous	15	15	Croft and Monninger, 1953
    Hydrophytes	22	24	Eisenlohr, 1972
    Hydrophytes	45	45	Christiansen, 1970
    Kochia	22	26	Weeks etal., 1987
    Mallow	14	51	Philipp and Gallagher, 1985
    Maple–Manitoba, Boxeider	16	21	Meyboom, 1964
    Meadow–Mountain	9	31	Borrelli, 1981
    Meadow–Mountain	14	19	Swartz etal., 1972
    Meadow–Mountain	16	20	Burman and Pochop, 1986
    Meadow–Mountain	17	28	Pochop etal., 1985
    Meadow–Native Pasture	13	13	N Thompson,1974
    Meadow–Native Pasture	20	23	Dylla and Muckel, 1964
    Meadow–Native Pasture	38	39	California Water Resources, 1975
    Mesquite	15	15	Qusahu and Evans, 1967, April-June
    Mesquite	20	20	Richardson etal., 1979
    Mesquite	40	40	Gatewood etal., 1950
    Oak–Gambel	11	19	Johnston etal., 1969
    Oak–Gambel	15	19	Tew, 1966
    Oak–Scrub	16	23	Rowe andReimann, 1961, with mahogany
    Oak–Scrub	25	25	Patric, 1961
    Pine	19	19	Thompson, 1974
    Pine	36	47	Riekerk, 1985
    Pine–Coulter	25	25	Patric, 1961
    Pine–Ponderosa	16	16	Berndt, 1960
    Pine–Scotch	12	39	Petersen and Hill, 1985
    Pinyon–Juniper	15	28	Gifford, 1975
    Poplar–Yellow	26	26	Luxmoore etal., 1978
    Quailbrush	44	44	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Rabbitbrush	13	13	Carman, 1986
    Rabbitbrush	13	26	Grosz, 1972
    Rabbitbrush	20	20	Robinson, 1970
    Rabbitbrush	2	5	Branson etal., 1976
    Redroot–Pigweed	32	32	Parshall, 1937
    Riparian Vegetataion	13	13	Schumann, 1967
    Riparian Vegetataion	17	17	Ben-Asher, Jr.,1981
    Riparian Vegetataion	22	22	Sammis, 1972
    Rose–Wild	21	21	Robinson, 1970
    Rush	21	21	Meyboom, 1964
    Rush	53	87	Parshall, 1937
    Rush–Baltic (Wire Grass)	85	85	Blaney etal., 1933
    Russian Olive	19	115	USBR, 1873-1979
    Russian Thistle	23	26	Parshall, 1937
    Sagebrush Big & Cheatgrass	9	9	Gutknecht etal., 1980
    Sagebrush Big	4	7	Branson etal., 1970
    Sagebrush Big	4	4	Branson etal., 1976
    Sagebrush Big	6	10	Sturges, 1980
    Sagebrush–Big	8	12	Shown etal., 1972
    Sagebrush–Silver	4	4	Branson etal., 1970
    Sagebrush–Silver	5	9	Johnston etal., 1969
    Sagebrush–Silver	6	6	Cline etal., 1977
    Saltbush	2	3	Branson etal., 1976
    Saltbush	26	54	Phillip and Gallagher, 1985
    Saltbush-Fourwing	38	38	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Saltbush-Nuttall	44	44	McDonald and Hughes, 1968
    Saltcedar	15	29	Grosz, 1972
    Saltcedar	16	56	USBR, 1973,1979
    Saltcedar	25	56	Culler etal., 1982
    Saltcedar	30	42	Weeks etal., 1987
    Saltcedar	33	33	Criddle etal., 1964
    Saltcedar	40	85	VanHylckama, 1974
    Saltcedar	48	61	Turner and Halpenny, 1941
    Saltcedar	68	68	Gay and Hartman, 1982
    Saltcedar	69	71	Gay, 1984
    Saltcedar	86	86	Gatewood etal., 1950
    Saltcedar & Cottonwood	21	30	Weeks and Sorey, 1973,
    Sedge	22	27	Dylla etal., 1972
    Sedge	77	77	Reported in Young and Blaney, 1942
    Shrub–Mixed	9	9	Branson etal., 1970
    Snowberry	12	14	Johnston etal., 1969
    Spruce	15	15	Brown and Thompson, 1965
    Tules	40	221	Reported in Young and Blaney, 1942
    Tules	52	52	Stearns etal., 1939
    Tules	63	63	Blaney etal., 1933
    Tules	63	74	Blaney etal., 1933
    Tules	65	65	Nouk, 1930
    Willow	13	13	Meyboom, 1964
    Willow	31	31	Reported inYoung and Blaney, 1942
    Willow	35	35	Criddle etal., 1964
    Willow	35	35	See Muckeland Blaney, 1945
    Willow	36	36	Robinson, 1970
    Willow	48	48	Blaney etal., 1933
    Willow–Dwarf	34	34	Criddle etal., 1964
    Willow–Wolf	22	22	Meyboom, 1964