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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Seedballs: An opportunity for low-cost, community-based riparian revegetation
Seedballs: An opportunity for low-cost, community-based riparian revegetation

John Leary, Restoration and GIS Coordinator, RiversEdge West

This guide, authored by RiversEdge West's, John Leary, explains how to make seedballs and how to plan seedball making and dispersal events. Seedball events are low-cost, engage with and educate community members and support restoration efforts with revegetation.

Integrated Pest Management Plan: Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge

An Integrated Pest Management Plan for the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge. This plan outlines the biological degradation of native riparian forest habitat along the Lower Colorado River and the invasive species management actions needed to protect and restore riparian forests and marshlands of the Bill Williams River. 

DeRango, B., 2023. Integrated Pest Management Plan Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge.

Riparian vegetation response amid variable climate conditions across the Upper Gila River watershed: informing Tribal restoration priorities

A look into the response of riparian vegetation in the Upper Gila River Watershed to climate change and its implications for restoration work. Researchers used remote sensing to develop maps to identify areas at increased risk of degradation and analyze changes in riparian vegetation using climate as a framework. They found that despite intensifying drought throughout the watershed, vegetation greenness has increased. However, there has been increased stress and rates of wildfire and other disturbances in the lower watershed within the past 5 years.

Factsheet and Habitat Scorecard for Dabbling Ducks

Habitat factsheets and scorecards describe the habitat needs and behaviors of species of interest in the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan. This particular document is for dabbling ducks and their utilization of seasonal shallow water wetlands. These habitat details and score cards can be used to analyze current habitat conditions and potential for improvement.

Revegetation Summary

This document is designed to serve as a Scope of Work for contractors or staff completing revegetation (planting and/or seeding) projects, as well as a documentation of work completed on a single page. It is a fillable pdf but can also be downloaded blank to fill out in the field, or adapted to individual project needs.

Trade-offs in seed dispersal strategies across riparian trees: the how matters as much as the when

Gonzalez et al. 2015

This paper reports on the comparison of seed dispersal patterns, germinability, longevity, and establishment between 3 dominant European riparian tree species.

Regeneration of Salicaceae riparian forests in the Northern Hemisphere: A new framework and management tool

Gonzalez et al. 2018

USING MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN RESTORATION PROJECTS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN US
Renewing Our Rivers: Stream Corridor Restoration in Dryland Regions
 University of Arizona Press, Briggs, M.K. and W.R. Osterkamp. 2020     This guidebook builds on what came before, developing it as both a guidance 'how to' as well as a reference. Where restoration topics are well-documented and well-traveled, we offer references. Where not, we offer detailed guidance on how to develop a stream restoration response start to finish.   https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/renewing-our-rivers
Why Do Some Restoration Projects Fail and Others Succeed? A Quantitative Look at 243 Sites for Environmental, Management, and Social Factors; Anna Sher
    Why Do Some Restoration Projects Fail and Others Succeed? A Quantitative Look at 243 Sites for Environmental, Management, and Social Factors   Anna Sher1*, Annie L. Henry2, Lisa B. Clark2, Alex Goetz2, and Eduardo González2,3   1University of Denver, Dept.