A field and laboratory study was made to determine the effect of alternate year rest rotation grazin in stem bases and root crowns of crested wheatgrass. Analyses for carbohydrate reserves and total nitrogen were made for the following treatments: (1) exclosures; (2) open range; (3) agronomy cages. Both carbohydrate concentration and total nitrogen content showed differences between sampling dates but did not show differences as a result of grazing treatment on individual dates. Differences between sampling dates were associated with season and growth stage of plants. Although differences due to grazing teatment were not shown for individual dates the combined average carbohydrate concentration for plants rested or protected from grazing for one season was higher than from protected plants inside exclosures or from plants grazed during the study. Despite the short duration of this study these results indicate that alternate year rest rotation grazing as practiced on Diamond Mountain is not adversely affecting storage of food reserves in crested wheatgrass.