Pathways Newsletter

Remembering the Stream of the Past

Three Bar Ranch is a family-owned cattle ranch that was established by my maternal grandparents in 1913. It has been managed and operated by family for over 100 years. We strive to preserve and enhance the land … pasture, cropland, water, timber, wildlife … in an effort to maintain an excellent cattle herd and preserve these beloved natural resources for all.

One of these resources is Buffalo Creek. Its headwaters start on Forest Service land just outside our ranch and flow through for over seven of its thirteen miles. As Buffalo Creek flows in and out of public and private land it’s relied upon by elk, deer, brook trout, beavers, and more. My siblings and I have fond memories of our mother catching fish from the creek, but over time, there’s been a notable decline in fish populations. Beavers, which used to be present are absent, and much of their habitat -- sources of food and materials -- are gone from the stream banks. The stream has become faster, narrower, and with less woody vegetation along the stream banks. So over the past decade, we’ve discussed restoring Buffalo Creek to its original state – to what we recalled from our childhood. 

Discovering the Tools of Stream Restoration

Since this is a public body of water, we turned to the experts to figure out how we could restore the habitat. We had several conversations with a biologist at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP); a manager of the local Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC); and experts at the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). They all suggested the use of Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) to restore the steam.

In the spring of 2022, we attended the 406 Grazing Academy in Lewistown, and the following fall we attended a Low-Tech Project-Based Stream Restoration Workshop hosted by Winnett ACES. Autumn Holzgen from Montana Conservation Corps was a speaker at both of these events. She discussed the benefit of using BDAs and other low-tech structures for stream and habitat restoration, and the added benefit that it improves grazing for cattle. We also visited some restoration sites to observe these practices in use. We were convinced of the conservation value of these structures and contacted Autumn to find out how we could collaborate with MCC.

The Project Begins

In partnership with Autumn and MCC, Montana FWP, Montana DNRC, NRCS, and Fergus County Conservation District with financial help from Winnett ACES, we developed a plan to restore Buffalo Creek. Over five years, MCC crews will install low-tech structures including Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) and Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS), which use wood posts and natural materials to mimic natural beaver dams by slowing stream flow and trapping sediment. These structures will raise water levels and reconnect the stream with its natural floodplain, which will restore riparian vegetation, increase wetlands, and improve fisheries and habitat for a variety of wildlife. The project also uses fencing to deter wildlife and livestock browsing from delicate restoration sites.

Last year (2023) was the first year of the multi-year project. Our partners selected three priority sites, and MCC Youth Expedition crews spent two hitches building over forty low-tech structures at the sites and a 125-foot riparian fence to manage cattle and wildlife along the creek. 

That fall, Autumn from MCC, Clive and Dustin from the DNRC, Clint and Rob from FWP, our Ranch Manager Josh, and I ventured out to view the BDAs and PALs. We were all impressed with the structures and how the creek channel had improved! It was wider and slower with less erosion on the banks. Rob saw brook trout, Dustin saw evidence of muskrats, and we all saw a natural beaver dam - evidence of real habitat restoration taking place in just a few months.

This year, we maintained the structures that were built the previous summer and expanded restoration into two new sites. One MCC crew of four young adults built over seventy low-tech structures (BDAs and PALS) across two project hitches. We even had one day where volunteers from other organizations and an MCC board member learned and helped. 

Where the low-tech structures have been installed, the creek shows a vast improvement. The stream channel is wider and slower, with more vegetation apparent along the stream bank. We’ve observed more habitat restoration including a beaver, a beaver dam, muskrats, ducks and their ducklings, and more fish.

Working with MCC and Our Hopes Moving Forward

Autumn is phenomenal. This work never would have been possible without her leadership, encouragement, expertise, and hard work. The MCC youth and adult crews were also great. They were self-sufficient, hard-working, efficient, very respectful, polite, and gracious. We’re so grateful for the technical expertise, guidance, and organization that partnering with MCC provides.

Our plan is to continue with the five-year project as developed by our state partners, MCC, and Autumn. We have identified several more sites where the stream and surrounding areas will benefit from low-tech structures, and we are excited to see the long-term results of this project. 

This project illustrates how important it is for us to collaborate to address conservation needs; from public agencies to nonprofits to ranchers, we all have a role to play in restoring our natural resources and stewarding our public lands and waters. Our hope is that, someday, people can catch fish again in the beaver ponds, just like our mother did all those years ago.

BDA Highlights

"I learned so much about the prairie, the ranching community and drought resiliency work.  We made a real impact this year and I can't wait to come back next year to lead the crew." - Crew Member

"We built well over 250 structures this year and saw the impact almost immediately. There was less sediment in the stream because of what we did. The grass was even greener in areas we worked on in the spring than anywhere else in the area.  This stuff works and I'm really proud of the impact we had!" - Crew Leader

"We've been a part of this for 2 years now and it's truly amazing what the crews have accomplished.  I'm no scientist but the Musselshell River has water in it year round now and that was not the case five years ago.  The crews even volunteered to help us restore the floor of a historic community building on their day off.  We love them and I hope even more get to come to our community next year!" - Project Partner

Since 2022...

• 4,228 low-tech structures built or maintained
• 40 miles of streams restored
• Over 654 acres of riparian areas restored