Why do livestock (especially cattle) use riparian areas?
- high quantity and quality of forage
- water to drink
- reprieve from hot summer weather
- prefer flat terrain
- cover from extreme weather
Describe 12 different solutions to improve livestock grazing in riparian systems
- add more rest to the grazing cycle
- alter the timing of grazing
- create grazeable riparian corridor
- provide an alternate water source
- place feed supplements in upland areas
- apply vegetation improvements
- install drift fencing
- corridor or exclusion fencing
- install stream crossings
- change livestock behavior
- herd animals to new areas
- change livestock class
From the presentation from Carol Evans, what was the condition of the riparian area prior to implementation and what changes took place after?
prior: unmanaged grazing, more recovery than impact over time. Stuck as a blown-out gulley. No mesic vegetation. 18-20 ft cutbanks
after - willows recovered, beaver moved back in and built dams, obligate wetland species moved in
What approach did Carol Evans take when working with ranchers to implement new grazing practices?
- Came with a “how” attitude rather than a “no” attitude
- fenced off riparian areas to create riparian corridors
What benefits were provided to Jon Griggs and the TS ranch from adopting these grazing practices?
Water and green forage were available in August and September, while other nearby creeks (and Suzy Creek in previous years) had dried up
What does Jon Griggs teach us about the importance of collaboration and allowing people to both try and fail?
if we can learn and improve from failure, then failure is worth it
collaboration allows for continuity, when one person goes, another will fill their place
Why are BDAs used in river restoration?
- to mimic the historical influence that beavers had on the system
- it’s an inexpensive, low-tech approach that can be scaled
- they create ponds, floodplain connection, diversity of depths and flows (complexity)
What processes do BDAs recreate in a stream?
- they slow water and allow deposition to occur in the area, reversing the effects of incising
- rise water tables
- widen channels
- makes the system more biodiverse
- water storage
What were the things that influenced the design of the Provo River?
- keeping birds away from the airport
- property boundaries
- creating spawning and rearing habitat for the June Sucker
- avoiding springs where rare plants occur
- recreation - non-motorized boat ramps
- weirs to artificially control water level
- creating meanders to form point bars
- placing boulders and things to prevent erosion
What was done to improve fish habitat at the beaver dam restoration site?
- removal of invasive Russian olives
- restored riffle-pool sequence
- armored banks with rocks that would otherwise be susceptible to erosion
- planted grasses and willow cuttings
