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The idea of beavers being anything but destructive is a wild concept to many ranchers who have fought the aftermath of nature’s best dam engineers. However, the craft creatures have the right idea when it comes to building structures that can significantly improve water structures for cattle and wildlife alike. With the assistance of Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Ranchers Stewardship Alliance, Montana rancher Brian Fox was able to vastly improve the water situation in his pastures using beaver dam analogues (BDAs).
The Ranchers Stewardship Alliance (RSA) operates on a mission to assist both established and beginning ranchers “build collaborative, trusting relationships and community-based solutions as they steward healthy working landscapes and encourage vibrant rural communities.”
While RSA does not necessarily fund projects themselves, they assist ranchers in finding programs that will match their needs through shared goals of stewardship of the grasslands. These partnerships can include private entities such as Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever or government agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management or NRCS.
RSA Communications and Outreach Leader Haylie Shipp notes their leadership operates on a committee structure with a rancher-run board. Many of the projects begin with conversations between ranchers about improvements they may want to implement, but may not have the infrastructure for.
“From these organic conversations, our board members can present these plans to a committee and see if there is a good fit to work with a partner agency,” Shipp explains. “We look at things like whether they overlap with a migratory area for wildlife or if there is a possibility for waterfowl habitat. From there, we help ranchers find people who may have shared interest in investing in that habitat.”
One such project was recently completed for Montana rancher Brian Fox who was looking to improve the water situation in his pastures to better utilize the grazing area available to his cattle.
Fox notes when they first moved cattle onto the property he had a large population of beavers he had trapped and removed. While a majority of the beavers were successfully removed, a handful of them moved up river and completely cut water off from Fox’s property.
Fox sought to build a pipeline to cure his water issues and sought out the help of RSA. Through this partnership, he was able to get in touch with NRCS and apply for a conservation pipeline project grant. Through NRCS, Fox was able to secure funds through a conservation stewardship program (CSP).
“These CSPs assist producers with grazing management by paying for enhancements that will also benefit the environment and wildlife,” Fox explains. “There are a lot of enhancements to choose from depending on if you are running livestock or farming.”
The enhancement found to be the most applicable to Fox’s property was the construction of BDAs. The irony of replacing the real beaver dams with a man-made variety is not lost on Fox.
“There is a lot of groundwork that goes into these projects. We had to involve the Army Corps of Engineers because it’s illegal to dam up natural bodies of water with synthetic materials,” he notes. “So when we went about building these BDAs, we used no machinery and relied on only natural materials like untreated wood and willow sticks.”
The first year Fox had a permit for the BDAs, he was able to construct nearly 120 feet of BDAs to improve water availability on his ranch. The results have been felt by not only his cattle but local wildlife as well.
Fox’s ranch includes 2.5 miles of pasture with no cross fencing. The initial well set up had his cows walking 2 miles to the only water source on the ranch. The inclusion of water in other locations has allowed his cattle to graze in areas that were previously under-utilized.
“The BDAs damming up the water has allowed for lush green areas that were previously pretty barren,” he explains. “I was not getting good grazing management out of this place before and now the cows are able to get out and graze more grass than ever before.”
In addition, Fox notes the improvements have created world class water fowl habitat and ideal conditions for sage grouse.
“We are on the far northern reach of sage grouse habitat and since we made enhancements to the water, the soil quality has increased as well. This uptick in soil quality has allowed for more worms and insects, which grouse thrive on.”
For Fox, utilizing these programs is a no-brainer. Prior to full-time ranching, Fox worked as a banker and spent 12 years working with farmers and ranchers to find solutions to their financial struggles.
“While there is a lot of gray area and the beginning phases can be a real headache, utilizing programs and working with groups like RSA gives ranchers increased financial flexibility to improve their own lands, all the while improving the overall health of the grasslands we call home.”
REQUIREMENTS/DUTIES Feeding cattle, managing herd health, doctoring cattle as needed, equipment operation & maintenance, outbuilding and grounds maintenance.Fencing, haying, processing…
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