2022 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher

An ArcGIS Online (AGOL) page containing historical and predictive maps developed by James Hatten of the USGS for the southwestern willow flycatcher habitat across the southwestern United States. The model predicts the probabilities for suitable habitat for SWFL and can be used to guide restoration efforts. 

Use the Habitat Viewer here: https://usgs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=b362c94bd7…

 

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Colorado Parks & Wildlife - Wildlife Species Profiles & Habitat Scorecards

The purpose of these profiles is to provide landowners and land managers with easy-to-use guidelines for understanding habitat needs of priority wetland-dependent wildlife. 

Please note that these profiles are limited to birds found in Mesa & Delta Counties.

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Tamarisk biocontrol alters bird community composition in the absence of cottonwood and willow vegetation
Invasive species disturb ecosystems and threaten biodiversity. Invasive species management, such as biological control, can cause additional disturbances, so quantifying how native species respond to invasive control is important to inform best management practices.   Mahoney et al. quantified southwestern bird communities in sites that varied in the amount of the non-native plant tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), before and after biological control efforts.
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Lessons Learned for Successful Watershed Partnerships in the Colorado River Basin

What are the key ingredients of successful collaborative partnerships? What worked well and what did not? If we had to do it all over again, what would we do differently? This document, based on interviews with stakeholders from 11 watershed partnerships in the Colorado River Basin, discusses the successes and challenges encountered from initial partnership formation to maintaining momentum over the years. It informs how RiversEdge West and other partners can continue contributing to the long-term success and viability of watershed partnerships.

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Renewing Our Rivers: Stream Corridor Restoration in Dryland Regions
Our rivers are in crisis and the need for river restoration has never been more urgent. Water security and biodiversity indices for all of the world’s major rivers have declined due to pollution, diversions, impoundments, fragmented flows, introduced and invasive species, and many other abuses.   Developing successful restoration responses are essential. Renewing Our Rivers addresses this need head-on with examples of how to design and implement stream-corridor restoration projects.
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Field Guide for Managing Kochia

Plant guide from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service on managing Kochia. 

Casey, P.A. 2009. Plant guide for kochia (Kochia scoparia). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kansas Plant Materials Center. Manhattan, KS.

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Low-Water Native Plants for Colorado Gardens - Western Slope: Below 7,000'

Many people have an interest in landscaping with native plants. The purpose of this booklet is to help people make the most successful choices, based on their location in Colorado. 

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Bringing Birds Home

Bringing Birds Home is a manual that describes how to proactively improve riparian habitat for bird species in Mesa County, Colorado.  

This guide was made possible by a grant from the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and was produced by RiversEdge West, with help from the Grand Valley Audubon Society, Tucson Audubon Society, and Audubon Arizona.

 
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How to Tell the Difference Between Russian Olive and Silverleaf Buffaloberry

This 1-page handout describes the differences between invasive Russian olive and native silverleaf buffaloberry. Photos of distinctive characteristics are provided. 

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Waterjet Stinger
This document describes how to use a stinger, a tool to plant dormant unrooted cuttings of willows, cottonwoods, dogwoods, and other species.
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Riparian Restoration Cost Calculator

This resource developed by RiversEdge West (formerly Tamarisk Coalition) allows users to estimate tamarisk and Russian olive removal and restoration costs based on existing site parameters. 

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Suggested Methodologies for Cottonwood Pole, Willow Whip, and Longstem Plantings

This guide describes techniques for harvesting, storing, and planting various types of plant materials, including dormant cottonwood pole cuttings, willow whip cuttings, and longstem products. This guide was prepared by RiversEdge West (formerly Tamarisk Coalition), based on input provided by Los Lunas Plant Materials Center.  

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Case Studies of Riparian and Watershed Restoration in the Southwestern United States - Principles, Challenges, and Successes
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center convened a workshop June 23-25, 2015, in Flagstaff, Ariz. for practitioners in restoration science to share general principles, successful restoration practices, and discuss the challenges that face those practicing riparian restoration in the southwestern United States. Presenters from the Colorado River and the Rio Grande basins, offered their perspectives and experiences in restoration at the local, reach and watershed scale.
Audubon Native Plants Database

This site allows users to enter their zip code to view a list of the best plants for birds in their area, as well as local resources and links to more information. 

Water and Birds in the Arid West: Habitats in Decline

This Audubon report synthesizes scientific linkages between water and birds in the arid West at a regional scale. It documents the changes that have taken place that threaten the ability of these critical habitats to support healthy populations of birds, focusing on two main geographies: riparian systems of the Colorado River Basin and a network of saline lakes in the Intermountain West. The report complements Audubon's work in the region, by describing key places and species, and establishing relationships between water, habitat, and birds. 

Guidance for Stream Restoration and Rehabilitation
A great deal of effort has been devoted to developing guidance for stream restoration and rehabilitation. The available resources are diverse, reflecting the wide ranging approaches used and expertise required to develop stream restoration projects. To help practitioners sort through all of this information, a technical note has been developed to provide a guide to the wealth of information available. The document structure is primarily a series of short literature reviews followed by a hyperlinked reference list for the reader to find more information on each topic.
The effects of riparian restoration following saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) biocontrol on habitat and herpetofauna along a desert stream
Authors: Kent R. Mosher, Heather L. Bateman   Abstract: Amphibians and reptiles (herpetofauna) have been linked to specific microhabitat characteristics, microclimates, and water resources in riparian forests. Our objective was to relate variation in herpetofauna abundance to changes in habitat caused by a beetle used for Tamarix biocontrol (Diorhabda carinulata; Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and riparian restoration.
AloTerra Restoration Services - Shrub/Tree Survivorship Data Sheet

This form accompanies Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects, developed by AloTerra Restoration Services. 

AloTerra Restoration Services - Streambank and Bed Stability Asessment Protocol

This streambank and bed stability assessment protocol has been developed to rapidly assess factors contributing to channel stability and identify which areas along a stream reach have the greatest amount of active erosion or are at the greatest risk of future erosion. It also considers the stability and effectiveness of channel restoration structures as a post-restoration monitoring class. Each sub-reach (100-200 feet) is evaluated for bed and bank material properties, bank slope and vegetation coverage, as well as evidence of active bed and bank erosion.

AloTerra Restoration Services - Streambank Stability Assessment Field Sheet

This form accompanies Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects, developed by AloTerra Restoration Services.

AloTerra Restoration Services - River Resilience Assessment Form

This form accompanies Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects, developed by AloTerra Restoration Services.

AloTerra Restoration Services - Line-Point Intercept Form

This form accompanies Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects, developed by AloTerra Restoration Services.

AloTerra Restoration Services - Noxious Weed Report Form

This form accompanies Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects, developed by AloTerra Restoration Services. 

AloTerra Restoration Services - Monitoring, Maintenance, and Adaptive Management Planning and Resources for Riparian Restoration Projects

The purpose of this resource, created by AloTerra Restoration Services, is to provide general recommendations for monitoring and maintenance of restored conditions in restored riparian areas of Colorado, such that information gathered from monitoring efforts can influence ongoing land management necessary to accomplish project goals. It is important to note that monitoring plans and maintenance strategies must be tailored to the specific site in question.

Field-Based Evaluations of Sampling Techniques to Support Long-Term Monitoring of Riparian Ecosystems along Wadeable Streams on the Colorado Plateau
To better plan for and implement long-term ecological monitoring, the authors of this report measured riparian vegetation and fluvial geomorphic features at pilot study sites on four wadeable perennial stream reaches, representative of drainages across the Colorado Plateau.
Conservation Planning for the Colorado River in Utah
Strategic planning is increasingly recognized as necessary for providing the greatest possible conservation benefits for restoration efforts. Rigorous, science-based resource assessment, combined with acknowledgement of broader basin trends, provides a solid foundation for determining effective projects.
Revegetation Plans for Stream Restoration Projects
A well-designed revegetation plan is a foundational component of a successful stream restoration project. It helps to ensure the establishment and long-term viability of a healthy riparian corridor, which is critical to stream ecology and stream structure. This technical guidance document provides information and recommendations on: Important elements to consider when developing a revegetation plan for a stream restoration project Construction specifications within revegetation plans Items to address during and after construction
Planning a River Cleanup
  Individual people are responsible for creating the trash that clogs our waterways, and it’s often up to individual people to clean that trash up. Hosting a river cleanup project in your area is a great way to not only improve the health of your local waterway, but to form new friendships with like-minded people.    Get expert advice from seasoned river cleanup organizations on hosting the most effective project possible.
Conservation Biology Institute - Webinar Series

This website provides links to past webinars hosted by the Conservation Biology Institute. Topics are wide ranging. 

How to Identify Dalmatian, Yellow, and Hybrid Toadflax
International Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration

This groundbreaking new publication from the Society for Ecological Restoration provides updated and expanded guidance on the practice of ecological restoration, clarifies the breadth of ecological restoration and allied environmental repair activities, and includes ideas and input from a diverse international group of restoration scientists and practitioners.

River Network Science Module - Environmental Flows & Water Security
This science module will introduce you to the concepts of water budgets, environmental flows, and water security and provide instruction on using tools that are now available online.