A story about cows, beaver and
collaborative stewardship
Carol Evans, Elko District, Bureau of Land Management

Susie Creek, 2015

Maggie Creek Basin, 2013

Red Cow Creek, 2013
Our snowpack drought
2012 - 2015

Too much hot season
grazing is a problem

East Fork Beaver Creek
1978
20152015

In the 1980’s

Riparian Grazing Concept – 1990’s

Successful livestock grazing strategies for
streams in Northeastern Nevada
Spring/fall/rest
Spring annually
Spring/rest
Winter/spring/rest
Spring/fall/rest/hot
Hot/spring/fall/rest
Partial hot/rest
Hot/summer/rest
Spring/fall/hot
Fall/spring
Fall annually
Hot/rest
Etc.

Just a story in progress

1992

2015 2015

Maggie
Susie
396 mi2
180 mi2
Partners
BLM
Maggie Creek Ranch
TS Ranch
Newmont Mining Co.
Barrick Goldstrike Mines
Trout Unlimited
25 Ranch
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
Nevada Department of
Wildlife
National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation
Both efforts started in
early 90’s

 From 1994 to 2006 (most of the major streams)
 Riparian vegetation increased by 816 ac (Open
Range Consulting 2009)
 From 2006 to 2010 (whole basin)*
 Riparian/water increased by 466 ac
 Percent water/marsh increased by 26 ac
 Length of stream corridor with water/marsh
increased by 7 mi
 Transition acres increased by 782 ac
*White Horse Associates 2011

Active beaver dams increased from 107 to 271
Ponding increased by 9 miles
White Horse Associates 2011

Maggie Creek, 2012
Maggie Basin

Maggie Creek beaver dam
shallow groundwater elevations
2015
1980

Susie Creek, 2015
Susie Basin

Susie Basin
Trout Unlimited

Susie Creek Basin Remote Sensing Project
Over the past 20-30 years;
Riparian vegetation increased by 100ac
Beaver dams went from 0 to 139
Open water increased by 20 ac
Length of wetted stream increased by 3 miles
32% increase in photosynthetic activity (excluding effects of
precipitation and fire)
Trout Unlimited, 2014

Susie Creek beaver dam
Shallow groundwater elevations
1999
2013

Beaver as a keystone species

Beaver as an ecosystem species

2015

Upper Dixie Creek, 2015

It seems like life's blank canvas are the beautiful
riparian areas that are being restored through
collaborative stewardship
Elizabeth Bergstrom, 2015

1978
2015