A warm spring fed river that flows through Moapa Valley in
Nevada. The Muddy River drains into Lake Mead and provides prime habitat for
the alluring Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (SWFL). Our crew worked alongside
Nora’s Crew with Danny, Nick, Andy and Nate to restore critical habitat for the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
The area we
are restoring is an old agricultural field with cement irrigation remnants. The
river itself has fish barriers because non-native species have become a
nuisance and threaten local native populations. Although, there is a documented
pair of nesting SWFL just a few miles from the project location, this
particular stretch of land has its own problems that limit its appeal to a SWFL.
For instance, the local seed bank is in short supply for the birds due to the
introduction of non native shrubs, grasses and trees. Competition for resources
is tough out there. Nesting and breeding sites have been transformed from
willow groves to overcrowded Tamarisk (Salt Cedar) forests.
Projects
for the week included decompacting soil in open areas and spreading native
seeds, harvesting and planting willows along the banks and sandbars in the
Muddy River, and removing invasive weeds in an adjacent field.
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Figure 1
Open field of compact soil on the left. The goal was to loosen up the top layer
to allow seeds to germinate and root in the bare areas. In right picture, crew
members have broken up the soil and are spreading seeds.
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Figure 2 Danny using
herbicides to chemically
battle a patch of invasive knapweed |
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Figure 3 Kristine
and Nick M. getting ready to plant some willow clippings in the Muddy River
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Figure 3 Kristine
and Nick M. getting ready to plant some willow clippings in the Muddy River
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