In 2016, the Gunnison Climate Working Group
Project Team completed its fifth year of restoring riparian areas and wet
meadows in the Upper Gunnison River Basin to help the Gunnison sage-grouse,
other species and ranchers maintain their livelihoods in the face of a changing
climate. Sage-grouse brood-rearing habitats, already impacted by erosion and
lowered water tables, are likely be further degraded by increasing drought and
intense precipitation events, decreasing available food supplies and chick
survival. To address these challenges, the team built 385 structures to restore
50 acres over 8.2 stream miles, benefiting approximately 400 acres of Gunnison
sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat in six watersheds on BLM, USFS and private
lands in 2016. The 2016 work contributes to the team’s five-year
accomplishments of building over 1,000 restoration structures to treat 140
acres along 21 stream miles, enhancing approximately 1,000 acres of
brood-rearing habitat. The restoration structures (e.g., one rock dams) are
improving hydrologic/ecological function of riparian areas and wet meadows.
Wetland plant cover increased an average of 160% at four treated sites,
compared to an average increase of 17% at untreated sites (four years’
post-treatment). This project serves as an important demonstration of simple
yet effective tools that have high potential to increase resilience of wet
meadow and riparian systems across the region.
