Cedar City Workshop Resources (Slides, Handouts)

Logan Workshop Resources (Slides, Handouts)

Logistics

What To Bring

​Participants will be out in the field, building in-stream structures by hand. We will be walking and exploring creeks, doing hand work, and exposed to the elements.
  In July in southern Utah we should be prepared for blistering heat or maybe even a stay monsoon.
  In September, in Logan, we might have pleasant Autumn weather, or even an early snow shower.  i

The bottom line is we will be exposed to the elements, so prepare for anything (i.e. pouring rain, snow, blistering heat). We recommend lots of layers, and work clothes.  Absolutely no sandals or flip-flops! 

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For field tour you will want:

• Closed toed work boots or wading boots.
• Hat/sunglasses
• Waders (breathable chest waders recommended for Logan (optional for Cedar City), hip waders can suffice (may be preferable for Cedar City); if you can't get your own, please contact us ahead of time with your shoe size and height; we have a few extra we can bring).
• Water Bottle(s)
• Sun Screen
• Bug spray (we will be working in an area with ticks)
• Something to write on (e.g. clipboard or field notebook) and something to write with (pencil or pen)
• Camera/Phone (optional)

For the construction exercises on Day 1 & Day  2, we will provide safety gear and protective equipment, but you may choose to bring your own (if you have them):

• Work gloves
• Hard Hat (for all construction activities)
• Ear protection (for post pounder)
• Safety glasses

A change of clothes for the field may be advisable.

Vehicles
We will car pool to our field sites to minimize how many vehicles we need. If you have an off-road worthy, four wheel drive vehicle and can take more people to the field,  please bring it.  On the second day many folks will depart from the field, so we will caravan to a parking area at the base of our field area and then combine into a smaller number of four wheel drive vehicles with good ground clearance and heavy duty tires. Both the Birch Creek, Utah and Birch Creek, Idaho field sites are accessible only via rough, rocky and rutted roads. 

Beyond that, expect to get wet and muddy and to roll up your sleeves and have fun. ​

Agenda

This will be a packed 2-days. Plan on a full​ two days, but with lots of time for discussion, and learning by doing. 

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Logan Agenda

Day 1 - Restoring Process and Function in Riparian Areas 
- Mainly class room (8 to 6)

• 8 AM - 10:00ish - Classroom Session - Introductions, Background & Context, Reading the Riparian Landscape
• 10:00ish to 2:00ish - Field Tour
• 2:00 - 6:00 - Classroom Session - Restoring Processes & Function in Riparian
• 7:00 - 9:00 - Informal Evening Social  & Dinner @ Herm's Inn with evening by Jay Wilde (rancher)

Day 2 - Implementing Low-Cost Structures as Restoration Tools
- Mainly field (7:30 to 5)

• 7:30 AM - Meet at Station Creek Field Site
• 7:30 - 1:30 - Design & Construction in Station Creek, ID
• 1:30ish to 2:00  - Travel to Birch Creek, ID
• 2:00 to 5:00 - Synthesis Discussions on the Creek - Regulatory Context in Utah; Where to Go From Here
• 5:00 - Departures from the Field

Cedar City Agenda

Day 1 - Restoring Process and Function in Riparian Areas 
- Mainly class room (8 to 6)

• 8 AM - 12:30ish - Classroom Session - Introductions, Background & Context, Reading the Riparian Landscape
• 12:30 - 2:00 - Presentation & Discussion by Jay Wilde over Lunch
• 2:00 - 6:00 - Classroom Session - Restoring Processes & Function in Riparian
• 7:30 - 9:00 - Informal Evening Social  & Dinner @ Centro Woodfired Oven

Day 2 - Implementing Low-Cost Structures as Restoration Tools
- Mainly field (8 to 5)

• 8 AM - 9:00ish - Classroom Session - Adaptive Management, Pilots, Maintenance & Expectation Management
• 9:00ish to 10:30  - Travel to Birch Creek, Utah 
• 3:30 to 5:00 - Synthesis Discussions on the Creek - Regulatory Context in Utah; Where to Go From Here
• 5:00 - Departures from the Field

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background preparation

If you would like to do a little background reading prior to the workshop, you may find the following helpful:

Recommended Reading

NRCS Flyer on importance of mesic habitat to sage grouse and working lands.

For Cedar City, we will be doing all our work in Birch Creek (Utah). For a little background on what we're doing there in the workshop, you may find this helpful:
​

1. Shahverdian, SM. and Wheaton, JM. 2017. Birch Creek Restoration Design Report​. Prepared for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources by Anabranch Solutions, LLC. Newton, UT. 26 Pages. DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11439.84646

Workshop information

​Primary Learning Outcomes
This workshop will bring together NRCS conservationists and partners in Utah interested in how to use low-cost tools (mimicking natural processes) to restore riparian areas to benefit wildlife and working lands. Participants will come away with:

1. An appreciation of ecological role of beaver and the complex feedbacks between beaver activity, hydrogeomorphic responses, riparian vegetation and ecology;
2. Exposure to ways in which beaver beaver dam-like structures and debris jams can be used as restoration tools to mitigate specific impairments;
3. Introduction to considerations in planning, permitting, design and building such restoration projects;
4. Knowledge of how to use adaptive management in managing expectations about beaver as a restoration agent and/or nuisance impacts;
5. First-hand experience designing and building some low-cost instream structures;
6. A chance to interact with experienced practitioners & share perspectives

Due to limited space, registration, is by invitation only. We will cap attendance at 30 participants in each of the two workshops. RSVP early to ensure your spot.

RSVP Renee Chi (NRCS) to Register

Cedar City Workshop Flyer
File Size:	570 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Logan Workshop Flyer
File Size:	570 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Workshop Lead

• Renee Chi the NRCS Utah State  Biologist, is the workshop lead organizer. 

Local Partners & Sponsors

We are grateful to our local workshop partners who provided matching resources and funds, as well as venues. In particular, thanks to Rhett Boswell from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources helped put together the Cedar City field sties and venues. Thanks also to Tyler Thompson and Daniel Eddington from the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative for helping fund the workshop.  

workshop   made possible by:

Thanks to the generous support of the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Sage Grouse Initiative and Working Lands for Wildlife Initiative, a grant through Pheasants Forever to Utah State University's Restoration Consortium and Joe Wheaton's ET-AL lab are able to deliver a series of workshops to NRCS conservationists and their partners throughout the west. This series was envisioned by Jeremy Maestas (NRCS/SGI) and is possible thanks to partner matches by various local organizations in each state (see each state page) and matching funds from Utah State University.

Instruction Team

Joe Wheaton  (USU, Anbranch Solutions)

Jeremy Maestas (NRCS, West NTSC)

Nick Bouwes  (USU, ELR, Anbranch Solutions)

Wally Macfarlane  (USU)

Scott Shahveridan (USU, Anbranch Solutions)

Jay Wilde (Diamondback W Ranch)

CEDAR CITY  Venue

Logan Venue

Thanks to our UDWR hosts in Cedar City! We will be based at the Heritage Center (105 N 100 E) in Cedar City, Utah. 

Cedar City Lodging Options

We will be meeting for the class room portion at the Heritage Center in downtown Cedar City on both Days 1 and 2 at 8 AM.

We will meet in Library 101 for the workshop in the Merill-Cazier-Library. Parking is available in the Big Blue Terrace (download map).  ​LIB 101 is your first left when you come in the entrance to the library. See here for an interactive campus map. All Logan class room sessions will all be in  LIB 101. 

A variety of lodging options are available in Logan, UT. Unfortunately, the University Inn (on campus) appears to be booked up. However, many other nearby options are available:

Some Logan, Utah Lodging Options