A method for execution by a computing device of a storage network includes determining an encoded data slice reduction scheme for a set of encoded data slices stored in a set of storage units of the storage network, where a data segment of data is encoded into the set of encoded data slices in accordance with encoding parameters, and where the encoding parameters include a pillar width number and a decode threshold number. The method further includes maintaining storage of the set of encoded data slices in accordance with the encoded data slice reduction scheme, where the maintaining storage includes keeping, until a deletion time for the set of encoded data slices, a number of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices equal to or greater than the decode threshold number and less than the pillar width number.