Recent wildfire impacting habitat area

CODY — A recent wildfire on Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area (WHMA) east of Lovell burned approximately 863 acres of cottonwood riparian habitat and wetlands along the Bighorn River and will affect wildlife habitat and future hunting opportunity. 

Cody Region Habitat and Access Supervisor Brad Sorensen said the loss of critical spring nesting cover could impact wildlife populations and limit future hunter opportunity for game birds and waterfowl. 

“Most ground nesters, including turkeys, pheasants, and waterfowl have already begun laying eggs. Birds with nests that were lost in the fire may re-nest but clutch size will be smaller, and we should expect a poor hatch for these birds and a subsequent reduction in bird hunting opportunity this fall,” Sorensen said. 

Grass cover will regenerate quickly and most shrubs found on Yellowtail will re-sprout, but it will take years for them to provide the level of cover they did prior to the fire. Natural replacement of the cottonwood forest however is unlikely.

 Sorensen said, “We are not expecting the vigorous re-sprouting of native trees and shrubs that we saw following the Big Fork Fire that occurred in 2013 because the Bighorn River floods much less frequently than the Shoshone River and the area has a much lower water table.  Early summer flooding necessary for cottonwood establishment from seed occurs infrequently and at a much reduced level on Yellowtail because of the altered hydrology of the Bighorn River due to Boysen Dam,” he said. 

The fire began on the afternoon of April 21 after an agricultural burn on private land got out of control. It stayed east of the Bighorn River until the following day when it crossed the River and burned portions on the west side. The fire burned National Park Service land that is managed by Game and Fish. Although no buildings on Yellowtail were lost in the fire, some boundary fences were destroyed.

 Roads in the southern portion of the WHMA will remain closed until hazards along the roadway have been cleared; however trees throughout the burn will continue to fall and present a hazard for years to come. The public is advised to use caution in areas with burned snags, especially in windy conditions.

In subsequent years invasive species like Russian olive, salt cedar, white-top and Russian knapweed will increase throughout the burn area. Sorenson says, “We will work with the National Park Service on noxious weed management for many years. The cost of controlling weeds on 863 acres will be large, but necessary to maintain habitat values.”

Yellowtail WHMA provides unique habitat to a multitude of wildlife and is home to one of the largest cottonwood forests in the West.  The 19,424 acre unit is managed by Game and Fish through a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Bureau of Land Management.