Grazing limits benefited Bridge Creek.

Abstract

![Figure][1] In Bridge Creek, Oregon, reduced grazing rejuvenated the ecosystem. CREDIT: SARAH KOENIGSBERG/THE BEAVER BELIEVERS In the News Feature story “Beavers, rebooted” (8 June, p. [1058][2]), B. Goldfarb discusses a field project where beaver dam analogs were constructed for stream restoration along a portion of Bridge Creek in central Oregon. Goldfarb writes that when the project began in 2007, the system was a narrow trench bordered by desiccated pastures, with a lingering population of steelhead and rainbow trout and a “skeleton crew” of beavers that built dams across the sluice-like channel that tended to wash away. However, the area was much more vibrant than Goldfarb suggests. Between 1989 and 1991, the Bureau of Land Management acquired land along large portions of Bridge Creek ([ 1 ][3]), and after 1991, there was no grazing in the area for 5 years ([ 2 ][4]). In the years that followed, only limited winter grazing was permitted ([ 2 ][4]). As a result, streamside willows and other riparian vegetation flourished ([ 3 ][5]–[ 5 ][6]). In 1988, the Bureau of Land Management began monitoring beaver activity by inventorying dams twice a year along a 25-km reach ([ 2 ][4]). As streamside vegetation recovered during the 1990s, beaver dams appeared throughout the area ([ 2 ][4]). Even where dams breached, remnant portions contributed positively to the ongoing riparian and channel recovery—they redirected flows, added local channel complexity, widened the flood-plain, and accumulated sand/gravel bars, all of which expanded the riparian community while increasing channel sinuosity and reducing stream gradient ([ 2 ][4]). Although this dynamic process of natural recovery had been under way for nearly 2 decades before beaver dam analogs were constructed along 3.4 km of stream, it was not mentioned in the News story. Because the Bureau of Land Management changed streamside management along Bridge Creek (i.e., protecting it from grazing impacts after 1991), recovered riparian plant communities could handle the high density of beaver dam analogs installed after 2007 ([ 6 ][7]). Thus, the real success story of Bridge Creek is the reduction in grazing, which allowed vegetation recovery and beaver presence along 25 km of stream, not intensive structuring with beaver dam analogs along the 3.4 km discussed in the News story. 1. [↵][8]Bureau of Land Management, “Sutton Mountain Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP)” [U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI), Bureau of Land Management, Prineville District, Prineville, OR, 1995]. 2. [↵][9]1. R. Demmer, 2. R. L. Beschta , Northwest Sci. 82, 309 (2008). [OpenUrl][10] 3. [↵][11]Bureau of Land Management, “Decision Record Sutton Mountain Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP)” (USDI Bureau of Land Management, Prineville District, Prineville, OR, 1996). 4. 1. H. A. Cooke, 2. S. Zack , “Avian responses to management of riparian habitat in the Prineville District” (Bureau of Land Management, Central Oregon, Report of 1999 and 2000 Field Activities, North American Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2000). 5. [↵][12]1. H. A. Cooke, 2. S. Zack , “Using riparian zone width and height to predict riparian songbird community diversity and distribution in Central Oregon: Implications for assessment and restoration” (North American Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, 2003). 6. [↵][13]1. J. B. Kauffman, 2. R. L. Beschta, 3. N. Otting, 4. D. Lytjen , Fisheries 22, 12 (1997). [OpenUrl][14][CrossRef][15] [1]: pending:yes [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.360.6393.1058 [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #ref-3 [6]: #ref-5 [7]: #ref-6 [8]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNorthwest%2BSci.%26rft.volume%253D82%26rft.spage%253D309%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [12]: #xref-ref-5-1 View reference 5 in text [13]: #xref-ref-6-1 View reference 6 in text [14]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DFisheries%26rft.volume%253D22%26rft.spage%253D12%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1577%252F1548-8446%25281997%2529022%253C0012%253AAEPORA%253E2.0.CO%253B2%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [15]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1577/1548-8446(1997)022 2.0.CO;2&link_type=DOI