Category Archives: issue

Cry the Beloved Meadows 

by Darryl Lloyd

The Bird Creek Meadows—largely within the Yakama Nation Mount Adams Recreation Area—is one of the most treasured subalpine parklands in the Cascades. Its spectacular wildflower displays are well-known to botanists and nature lovers across the country. The Native Plant Society lists 162 plant species, including 10 conifers. On the mountain’s southern slope, over 100 glades and meadows form a triangular area between 5,700 feet and 7,100 feet. Tumbling down through the beautiful meadows are about a dozen spring-fed streams, most of which flow into Bird Creek.

On Sunday (9/3/17), Darvel and I checked out trails and documented extensive cattle trespass and adverse impacts in the Bird Creek Meadows within the Yakama Reservation boundary. (Note: Friends of Mount Adams are partners in the Washington Trails Association’s trail-maintenance project. Access by road to Bird Lake and the meadows has been closed to the public for the past two years, but we went in as part of the WTA group.)

Approaching the Yakama Nation Mount Adams Recreation Area by the Bird Creek road (Rd. 285), Sept. 3, 2017

New sign at trailhead near Bird Lake

Washington Trails Association volunteers work on the Bluff Lake Trail

New bridge over Crooked Creek, on the Bird Lake Trail

At least 12 cattle—cows, yearling calves and a bull—near Crooked Creek

 

Wetland below Round-the-Mountain Trail

Trampled bank of the frog pond, also heavily grazed meadow

Clumps of late-blooming Lewis’ monkeyflower and other plants trampled and eaten by cows

Cows ate monkeyflowers during their blooming stage

Almost no monkeyflower blooms or or seed pods clusters remained along the many streams

Amazing widflowers on August 21, 2013

Cattle impacts & erosion, done during the 2016 season—15 cow pies counted within about a 25-30 ft. radius

Grazing impacts along Round-the-Mountain Trail

Yakama Nation drift fence on 9/3/17

Broken cattle guard on Bird Creek Road, 9/3/17