Current Restoration within the Rattlesnake Creek Basin to Support Historic Conservation Strongholds; Bob Atchison

 

 

Aron Flanders¹, Bob Atchison²*

 

¹U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kansas Partners for Fish & Wildlife Program, 1434 NE 80^th St., Stafford, KS 67578, (620) 486-2304 EXT 231; Aron_Flanders@fws.gov  

²Kansas Forest Service, Kansas State University, 2610 Claflin RD, Manhattan, KS 66502, 785-532-3310; atchison@ksu.edu

 

 

In the Rattlesnake Creek Basin (RCB) upstream of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), invasive Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) (ROT) negatively impact wildlife habitat, native plant diversity, soil/water resources, private grazing lands and stream geomorphology. These surrounding private lands in the RCB influence surface and subsurface water flows and the sustainability of ROT control efforts on Quivira NWR. Control is important because the RCB region is within an area of greatest continental significance to North American waterfowl, supporting hundreds of thousands of ducks, geese and shorebirds annually. This region also provides stopover, wintering and/or breeding habitat for a multitude of Federal Trust Species, such as the federally endangered whooping crane. Non-native ROT invade the same areas utilized by these wetland wildlife. To address this resource concern, numerous conservation partners leveraged resources to assess current conditions, engage private landowners, restore Rattlesnake Creek riparian areas, and sustain conservation through adaptive management and formalized strategic plans. Successful innovative control efforts and pilot projects have offered some lessons learned for land managers or technical guidance providers. These projects also illuminate the benefits of partnerships at meaningful landscape scales.  Private land restoration projects along 21 stream miles and 3,000 acres not only support Quivira NWR but also surrounding communities through increased livestock forage, water quantity, economic growth, recreational hunting opportunities, biodiversity and reduced risk of catastrophic wildfire.