Fish Slough is an area located approximately 10 miles north of Bishop within the southern Volcanic Tableland. The Volcanic Tableland is situated at the ecological cusp of the Northern Mojave and Great Basin floristic Provinces where plants and associated wildlife species combine to make this an unusual and biologically diverse landscape. It has taken millennia for this environment to evolve and it will take responsible recreational users to preserve it into perpetuity.

The hill-climb occurred due to excessive OHV use which caused the loss of plant cover producing a visual eye sore. The exposed aspect, sandy soils, and slow regenerative capacity of the desert scrub plant community has made rehabilitation efforts difficult. The first attempt at restoring the slope began with a road closure in 1998. Following the road closure, native desert scrub species were grown and planted at the base of the hill-climb.

Photo taken in 2002

In 2002 to increase transplant survivorship, an experimental drip system project was designed followed by on the ground work which began in May. A 2,000 gallon water tank was retrofitted and painted so it would be camouflaged with the surrounding landscape. A hole was then dug by BLM staff to house the tank. The tank is used for water storage which is hooked up to the vegetation drip system.

A head box was constructed which locks and contains the controls for the drip system. Three water lines run from ball lever controls which are the main lines of the drip system.

Photo taken in 2002

The drip system had been designed as a gravity fed system that is manually controlled. Three lines were designed to run from the box down the hill, however two are currently in place.

Once the main lines were laid out and buried, smaller hoses (drip lines) were inserted into the main line. The drip lines are used to water already existing plants or plants that had been transplanted.

Photo taken in 2003

 

The drip lines were inserted into PVC pipe which was buried next to the plant. On the end of the drip lines are 1 gallon per hour emitters.

In 2003, we have run drip lines to approximately 60 plants which will receive water in coordination with mother nature.

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