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Winnemucca, NV Low-Tech Process Based Restoration Field Workshop

May 9-10, 2024

This workshop was hosted by Nevada Association of Conservation Districts, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Nevada Conservation Districts Program and taught by Anabranch Solutions. The workshop content grew out of over 20 LTPBR workshops taught by Utah State University and the online modules were developed in 2020 for an NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife workshop series.

Workshop Description

Students learned ‘low-tech process-based restoration’ (LTPBR) as a practice of using simple, low unit-cost, structural additions (e.g.wood and beaver dams) in streams to mimic natural functions and initiate specific processes. ‘Letting the system do the work’ means that with a few low-cost amendments and low-tech treatments (e.g.hand-built, natural materials, non-engineered, short-term design lifespans) we allow the riparian area to recover naturally.

Agenda

Day 1 - Thursday, May 9th: 8:00a - 5:00p

Morning

Introductions, logistics, learning objectives
Background and purpose (Chapter 1 - Design Manual)
Beavers, Restoration, Science
Low-tech tools (Chapter 1 & 4 - Design Manual): BDAs, PALs, rock dams
Guiding Principles (Chapter 2 - Design Manual)

Noon - Lunch and Parking Lot BDA Exercise

Afternoon

Permitting for Working in Streams in Nevada: Clean Water Act §404, Clean Water Act §401 Certification Process State Discharge Permitting
Planning - Assessment and Design (Chapter 3 & 5- Design Manual)
Adaptive Management

Day 2 - Friday, May 10th: 8:00a - 5:00p

Stop 1 -

Exploring beaver complex and activity

Stop 2 & 3

Valley bottom mapping, risk assessment, condition assessment (Chapter 3 - Design Manual)
Reading riverscapes (Chapter 3 - Design Manual)

Course Materials

Slides & Handouts

View Course Powerpoints

Course Photos

View and Share photos from the course

Workshop Textbooks

Mandatory Texts - Free digital versions are available below and hard copies of the Design Manual and the Pocket Guide will be provided to course participants.

Wheaton J.M., Bennett S.N., Bouwes, N., Maestas J.D. and Shahverdian S.M. (Editors). 2019. Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration of Riverscapes: Design Manual. Version 1.0. Utah State University Restoration Consortium. Logan, UT. 286 pp. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19590.63049/2.