Editor’s Note: This is part one of a three-part blog series focused on OWC’s restoration process, from concept to completion. Our projects at Beaver Creek serve as a ‘case study’ of sorts to illustrate these steps. We hope it will shed some light on the hard work that goes into our restoration sites and inspire you to volunteer at a future event!
For several years, OWC has been working with partners and volunteers to restore sites throughout our headwaters. A lot of work has to be completed behind-the-scenes before the first shovel (or willow) touches the ground. We’ve broken down the preliminary work into three steps: setting goals/targets, scouting sites, and drafting & submitting a plan for approval.
Step 1: Setting Goals/Targets/Deliverables
As with any project, it is important to start with the end in mind–that is, what are we trying to achieve? Our restoration scope and goals are guided by regional plans, riparian health and threats, native fish habitat, and grant or funding deliverables.
Our recent focus has been on projects in the headwaters in pursuit of Goal 3 from OWC’s Integrated Watershed Management Plan: “Manage and protect the integrity of headwaters and source waters.” OWC is also working within the frameworks–and contributing to the implementation–of government plans like the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills Land Footprint Management Plan, and the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills Recreation Management Plan, which deem restoration to be “a critical strategy to improve environmental condition and ecological function over time.”
Our work is generally focused on riparian areas (streambanks and floodplains–nothing within the streambed), and includes restoring illegal stream crossings and non-designated trails in areas that (ideally) have management plans. It is helpful to have these management plans established and enforced before starting a project, so that we can be confident that our newly-restored site will be protected and is not slated to become a designated trail or crossing in the future.
We rely on grants to fund this work. OWC has received funding through the Government of Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program to restore sites in the headwaters that have been impacted by recreation and/or livestock. We have also partnered with riparian experts Cows and Fish and received funding through the federal Habitat Stewardship Program; therefore, some of our work is dedicated to sites along streams deemed as critical habitat for westslope cutthroat trout.
Healthy riparian areas = more fish!
Image provided by Cows and Fish with data from Fisheries Biodiversity: Understanding the Link to Riparian Health. Cows and Fish - Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society Report No. 039.
Native fish like westslope cutthroat trout require cold, clear, clean water in order to reproduce and thrive. Healthy riparian areas contribute to this. The leaves of streambank vegetation shade the water, keeping it cool. The roots act as natural rebar, stabilizing the streambank and reducing erosion. They also help trap and filter runoff, keeping excess sediment out of streams (which can cover trout redds and make it more difficult for fish to find food). By restoring riparian areas, our goal is not only to plant some trees and willows, but to restore the biodiversity and function of these areas, which contributes to healthier land, cleaner water, and vibrant plant, fish, and wildlife populations. In short, a healthy watershed.
As part of our grant agreements, we set targets and report regularly on deliverables such as number of sites and area restored, number of trees or willows planted, and number of volunteers involved (when applicable). We also dedicate funding to monitoring our sites before and after restoration so that we can assess (and improve) how effective our efforts are.
Beaver Creek is a tributary of the Oldman River that flows through the Porcupine Hills. It is a popular random camping and quadding area with seasonal livestock grazing. Beaver Creek also contains westslope cutthroat trout. The Government of Alberta has been working to designate appropriate trails and bridges under the Livingstone-Porcupine Hills Recreation Management Plan, and asked OWC and Cows and Fish whether we might allocate some of our grant resources to assist with restoring sites along Beaver Creek. Image: Google Maps.
Step 2: identifying and Scouting Sites
The next stage involves countless meetings, emails, and phone calls among partners, recreationists, land managers, and government staff to discuss what is currently being done, future plans for areas, and what kind of restoration could be done. Photos and maps of existing trails, bridges, crossings, impacted areas, and access points, as well as westslope cutthroat trout habitat, are very helpful to visualize the landscape.
Then it’s time to actually visit the area in person! We love this part, because it means leaving our desks and computers behind and getting out on the land (hopefully on a sunny day). A scouting trip usually involves bringing a map, GPS, camera, notebook, and good walking shoes (as well as bear spray, sunscreen, and other safety gear).
When we’re at a potential restoration site, there are a number of things we’ll do to assess the site. This may include recording GPS locations, taking photos, drawing site sketches, and making careful notes about type and cause of any disturbances, any visible changes to the stream’s natural flow or channel (e.g. cutbanks, sediment deposits), soil compaction, types of vegetation (and invasive species), and whether there are designated or undesignated trails or crossings nearby. All of these factors will tell us what kind of restoration work will need to be done (e.g. decompaction, what species to plant, whether to install erosion control, etc) and what kind of equipment we’ll need. It’s also important to note access (truck? OHV? foot access only?) and to consider how to get the necessary equipment to the site.
In July 2019, staff from OWC and Cows and Fish headed out to Beaver Creek to scout the area for potential restoration sites. It was a lovely, sunny day! We carried bear spray along with a GPS, camera, notebook, and a map of the designated trails. While there were a couple of bridges crossing the creek, we saw numerous undesignated trails and fords. The creek itself was full of green algae at the time. We noted several places where the creek had widened due to illegal fording, and where sediment was being funneled along trails straight into the creek. It was also interesting to see that the creek becomes subterranean at one point, and re-emerges above ground further downstream.
Step 3: Restoration Plan, Approval, and Logistics
Back at the office, those field notes and photos will form the backbone of our restoration plan, which we will draft and send to the Government of Alberta for approval, as nearly all of our headwaters restoration takes place on public land. Our work plan is reviewed by public lands Approvals staff with Alberta Environment and Parks, and often by an agrologist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry as well. If applicable to the area, we’ll talk to the grazing leaseholder to ensure that they can still access and move their livestock as needed. We also want to prevent livestock damage to newly-planted seedlings, so it’s best to work with leaseholders to find mutually-agreeable solutions ahead of time. This entire planning and approvals process can take a several months, so it is important to plan accordingly. (Side Note: For projects proposing to work within the streambed, the approvals process would also require permits and authorization from the Alberta Water Act and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans).
When planning a restoration project, there are many factors to consider, including staff capacity or whether we need to hire contractors, costs for equipment and labour, available funding, and timelines of grant deliverables and for approvals (not to mention seasonal variability, as some work is best done at particular times of year). We also think about how the site will be protected to allow it time to grow and recover–whether by installing signage, or by putting in hitching rails, etc.
Once our work plan is completed and receives government approval, we start figuring out the logistics of implementing the restoration work. This includes sourcing vegetation, equipment, and labour–deciding whether to do the work ourselves, hire contractors, or to plan a volunteer event (which requires its own planning and approvals), or some combination of the above. Some work can be done by hand, but other tasks require heavy equipment and qualified operators. Hiring a contractor involves finding qualified companies, doing site visits with them, and agreeing on a statement of work and budget. In many cases, we partner with organizations like Cows and Fish on restoration projects, and so we share the workload with them.
Excerpts from OWC and Cows and Fish’s 2019 Proposed Riparian Restoration Work Plan for Beaver Creek, which was submitted to and approved by Government of Alberta staff. The plan outlined restoration to be completed at 7 sites along Beaver Creek, including decompacting (“rough and loose”) and revegetating nondesignated trails, installing sediment control, planting willows, and installing signs and hitching rails. Due to early winter weather, the actual work was postponed to 2020.
Once all of the aforementioned planning and preparatory steps have been completed, it is time to actually do some restoration. Watch for part two and three of this blog series, where we will dive deeper into the process of restoration projects.
Title image credit: Cows and Fish
The Beaver Creek Restoration Project was funded in part by the Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (Alberta Environment and Parks). Thank you for your support!
