We’re working with FoLBR, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the beaver-restoration team at EcoMetrics to improve stream-corridor habitats in the Blue River headwaters for Wetlands Priority Species including waterfowl, shorebirds, migratory songbirds, birds of prey, amphibians, fish, and mammals.
Our Challenge?
Identify and prioritize stream reaches amendable to low tech, process-based beaver conservation and restorations. In particular:
a) Low-gradient (fairly flat) headwater (low order) valleys with perennial stream reaches that have room to move
b) Substantial willow adjacent to the streams, including over-browsed shrubs that could recover over time with conservation management strategies
c) Good access for citizen-science-based monitoring pre– and post-project implementation
d) Clear understanding of potential conflicts with other residents of our target drainages, especially working lands, with realistic, low-cost mitigations.
Our Strategy?
· Build a robust GIS1 mapping base emphasizing existing data resources including the Summit and Grand Counties, National Hydrographic Database2, and Colorado Decision Support System3 as well as CODEX4 and the Colorado Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool5 (BRAT) program at the Colorado Natural Heritage Program6.
· Sort for high-probability, publicly accessible stream reaches with low risk of neighbor conflicts per USFWS7
· Work with the local conservation community, including visitors, to mentor citizen scientist teams to validate the BRAT findings. Guide and report general observations on the www.citsci.org8 platform at CSU National Environmental Lab with more specific natural history identifications on www.iNaturalist.org9, E-Bird.org10, and Global Amphibian Bioblitz11.
· Analyze, catalogue, and prioritize rewilding-friendly stream reaches, report findings to CPW.
Why Beaver?
Partnering with beaver can be the most cost-effective, self-maintaining approach to restoring stream corridor habitats beneficial to waterfowl, shorebirds, migratory songbirds, birds of prey, amphibians, fish, and mammals. Wetlands for Wildlife!
In addition to habitat quality and diversity, well-positioned beaver communities improve hydrogeomorphic processes that can:
· Reduce downstream flooding by slowing floodwaters which in turn increases groundwater recharge and improves late-season stream base flows.
· Improve water quality by moderating temperatures, capturing sediment, cycling nutrients, and trapping carbon. See, for instance USFWS Beaver Restoration Handbook.
Join Us!
Watch this space for upcoming blogs with a “sciencing” flavor as our wetlands for wildlife project unfolds, and for opportunities to participate as a citizen scientist.
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