Examples of LTPBR for Post Fire Recovery

Baugh Creek, Idaho → Sharps Fire 2018

The Sharps Fire, 2018 was where the fairly obvious tweet below came from (i.e. “turns out water does not burn” - see related Tweets ). ,Interestingly on the heels of a NRCS LTPBR Workshop in Hailey, Idaho, we were in discussions with Idaho Fish and Game about a potential LTPBR project to expand the footprint of beaver in Baugh Creek. Terry Gregory (IDFG) had for the previous two decades translocated live beaver from irrigation ditches up to Baugh Creek to do restoration work. Thanks to the efforts of Terry, the beaver he reintroduced, and their offspring we see the resilience to thee fire illustrated in the picture below.

Looking for Album? For media outlets, authors and individuals looking to use these images, you may use any of the images in this album at no cost. Joe Wheaton has licensed everything in the album has a Creative Commons Attribution license, so you can use the images in your own works..

From LCAN - “Conservation professionals turned a negative into a positive in the aftermath of the 65,000-acre Sharps wildfire on Baugh Creek in the Little Wood watershed in Central Idaho. A major partnership project led by the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission led to the installation of more than 120 beaver dam-type low-tech structures along Baugh Creek and two other tributaries to help restore the streams in a post-fire environment. The beaver dam analogs and other woody in-stream structures slow down the water flow, increase meanders and store water high in the watershed for the benefit of fish, wildlife and livestock.

The project was made possible by two private landowners in the area that wanted to restore the streams and improve wildlife habitat. Partners included Idaho Fish and Game, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wood River Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, Anabranch Solutions, Utah State University, and more.”

Media Coverage

• Stuebner S. 2018. Idaho Soil & Water Conservaton Commission - “Partners Pioneering on Post-Fire Project in the the Pioneer Mountains” Conservation the Idaho Way. Idaho Soil & Water Conservation Commission.
• Goldfarb, B. 2020. How beavers became North America’s best firefighter. National Geographic.
• Randall, B. 2018. Beavers, Water, and Fire—A New Formula for Success Low-tech stream restoration works wonders for people and wildlife. National Wildlife Federation Blog.

Project Reports

• Shahverdian SM and Wheaton JM. 2018. Baugh Creek Post-Fire Emergency Restoration – Design and Implementation Report. Prepared for Rebecca Patton by Anabranch Solutions, LLC. Newton, UT. 31 pp. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.14182.27209
• Shahverdian SM, Bennett SN, and Wheaton JM. 2018. Baugh Creek Post-Fire Emergency Restoration – Prioritizing and Planning Post-Fire Restoration in the Baugh Creek Watershed. Prepared for Rebecca Patton by Anabranch Solutions, LLC. Newton, UT. 26 pp. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17537.71528

Baugh Creek Images Appear In

The images from the Baugh Creek Album appear in the following scholarly outlets:

• Endter-Wada J, Kettenring KM, Sutton-Grier A. 2020. Protecting wetlands for people: Strategic policy action can help wetlands mitigate risks and enhance resilience. Environmental Science & Policy 108 : 37–44. DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2020.01.016
• Wheaton, J.M., Bennett, S.N., Bouwes, N., Camp, R., Maestas, J.D. and Shahverdian, S.M. 2019. Chapter 2 – Principles of Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration. In: J.M. Wheaton, S.N. Bennett, N. Bouwes, J.D. Maestas and S.M. Shahverdian (Editors), Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes: Design Manual. Utah State University Wheaton Restoration Consortium, Logan, Utah. 30 pp. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.34270.69447

Goose Creek, Nevada/Utah

Goose Creek Fire - BLM and Utah WRI

• Goose Creek Fire Rehabilitation
• Goose Creek Fire Stream Restoration - Phase 1
• Goose Creek Fire Stream Restoration - Phase 2