Effects of Controlled Livestock Treatment On Reclaimed Natural Gas Well Pads.

Wyoming rangelands have undergone extensive energy development in recent years. Much of this development occurs on public land designated for multiple uses.  Reclamation of these areas has proven difficult due to the harsh climate and alteration of thin, nutrient poor topsoil during development activities.  Viable topsoil is vital for establishing plants and energy development and reclamation activities often lead to topsoil dilution, rapid mineralization of  soil organic matter, and loss of soil structure.  These changes degrade the suitability of the soil as a medium to sustain plant growth.  Reclamation of land disturbed for energy development in this area has largely been executed by the extraction companies and evaluated by the governing agency.  Most other parties who rely on this land, such as ranchers with grazing permits, have been left out of the equation.  In this study, we examine an unconventional reclamation technique that aims to involve ranchers in the reclamation process: controlled livestock impact.  During this technique, livestock are confined on reclaimed and seeded sites in hope to improve the seedbed and seed to soil contact through fertilization and hoof action. Natural gas well pads that were reclaimed in the fall of 2009 were selected from three Wyoming natural gas fields.  Each well pad was given three treatment plots: traditionally reclaimed, reclaimed with livestock impact, and adjacent undisturbed.  Soil samples were then analyzed for soil organic matter parameters including percent soil organic matter fractionation, soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and mineralizable carbon and nitrogen.  Initial findings suggest that livestock impact sites have higher mineralizable carbon and available nitrogen than traditionally reclaimed sites. This may lead to better conditions for plant establishment and successful reclamation.