Wet Meadows Program

The Upper Gunnison River Basin contains over 2.5 million acres of the semi-arid sagebrush steppe ecosystem. Within the Basin, wet meadows & riparian areas are a rare resource, occupying less than 2% of the landscape. Although they are limited, these areas are disproportionately important for wildlife, livestock, and humans. Wet meadows are often referred to as “sponges” because during spring runoff, they “soak up” and temporarily store water in the soil, slowly releasing and sustaining water flows throughout late-summer. Functioning wet meadows sustain water supply, improve water quality, and provide high-quality forage & habitat for livestock and wildlife, including insects, amphibians, reptiles, migratory birds, elk, and mule deer. Wet meadows in the Basin also support over 88% of the federally threatened Gunnison sage-grouse population. 

Many wet meadows & riparian areas in the Basin have been modified, destroyed, or degraded, and left vulnerable to additional climate-induced changes – prolonged drought, earlier snowmelt, and decreased soil moisture. These impacts lead to soil erosion in the form of headcuts, channel incision, and related vegetation loss, resulting in lower water tables and diminished ecosystem services, e.g. water supply. 

To mitigate these impacts, the Program builds restoration structures made of natural materials (“sticks and stones”), strategically placed to help stabilize headcuts, capture sediment, and slow water down during runoff events to temporarily store water and sustain flows. 

Since 2012, the Program has installed over 2,670 Zeedyk-style & LTPBR structures along 49 miles of stream, treating over 120 acres of riparian habitat on public & private land to enhance Gunnison sage-grouse brood-rearing habitat and increase ecosystem resilience.

The Program demonstrates the use of simple, yet effective tools help to improve habitat for many species of wildlife, build resilience to drought, and promote productive landscapes for land-based livelihoods on both private & public lands in the Basin. Structures built in the Basin over the past 13 years are effectively improving hydrologic & ecologic function of wet meadows; efforts are improving brood-rearing habitat for the Gunnison sage-grouse, increasing forage availability and extending runoff periods later into the summer season.

The collaboration of UGRWCD, local, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, universities, landowners, and volunteers has been essential in achieving watershed-scale restoration across land management boundaries. This is the type of collaboration that is needed to effectively prepare nature and people for an uncertain future.