Reviving sagebrush wetlands: A conservation story

How one scientist came to know and love an overlooked treasure on our western landscapes

Matthew Vasquez

Wildlife Program Manager, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

July 24, 2025

Sagebrush landscapes are often thought of as dry, rugged and lacking plant and wildlife diversity. I am here to tell you—nothing is further from the truth. Having spent years working in these ecosystems, I’ve seen firsthand how wetlands within these arid landscapes are essential to biodiversity and habitat restoration. These overlooked areas provide critical resources for species that rely on them and shape the delicate balance of life in sagebrush country.

Today, communities near Gunnison, Colorado, are coming together to restore water to wetlands and areas bordering rivers and streams, also known as riparian areas, or wet meadow habitats. This work ensures these vital ecosystems can support wildlife, livestock and people alike.

Image shows two people working on a stone structure surrounded by prairie. — Forest Service employees hand-build small grade control structures at Smith Point, Grand Valley Ranger District, to improve the area’s ability to retain moisture, which can improve the area's drought resistance and ability to sustain local wildlife. This area is a wet meadow within Gunnison sage-grouse designated critical habitat. Efforts have been ongoing in the area since 2018 to preserve and enhance habitat for wildlife and to improve the area’s hydrologic function. Ten structures were built with help from the Western Colorado Conservation Corps, Colorado Mesa University and USDA Forest Service staff. *(USDA Forest Service photo by Heidi Plank)*

Saving the Sagebrush “sponges”

Since 2013, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that I work for, has been working alongside land management agencies, universities, non-profits and private landowners to restore wet meadows and riparian areas in sagebrush habitat. These efforts are crucial, as erosion, past land use and runoff from roads have altered streams and floodplains in the Upper Gunnison River Basin. Many stream channels have become unnaturally deep and narrow, cutting far into the soil. This process lowers water tables, drying out areas that were once thriving wetlands.

Restoring these areas doesn’t require complex machinery, just a simple, effective approach. Crews hand-build small rock structures, often just one stone high, to slow water flow. These miniature dams help trap sediment, distribute water more evenly and encourage vegetation to return. Over time, the renewed flow reconnects eroded stream channels to their floodplains, revitalizing the landscape.

This restoration method helps raise water tables and re-wet the meadow. These meadows are often described as natural ‘sponges,’ because they absorb and store water during runoff events, then gradually release it, sustaining flows into late summer. A healthy meadow supports water retention, improves water quality and enhances habitat for livestock and wildlife, including insects, amphibians, reptiles, migratory birds, elk and mule deer.

A simple yet powerful approach

Image shows a man taking a selfie of himself with the horse he was riding across prairies. — A photo of the author out and about in the sagebrush ecosystems he finds so appealing. *(USDA Forest Service photo by Matthew Vasquez)*

I started on this project in 2012 as a wildlife biologist working on the Gunnison Ranger District, where I first began my Forest Service career back in 2009. In my current role, I coordinate with partners and support the Gunnison Ranger District wildlife biologist and hydrologist staff who work on this project along with Forest Service partners.

Although wet meadows and riparian areas occupy only a small part of the sagebrush ecosystem, they provide critically important habitat for many species and ecosystem services. The project increases wet meadow and riparian habitat resiliency during drought, creating sustainable conditions for a variety of species.

Out in the field, one of the things I like most is coming together with people who are passionate and excited to actively restore the land. The work feels tangible, and we see the results in real time as we use simple, highly effective restoration methods.

One of those people is Sarah Lowe, a fellow wildlife biologist on the Gunnison Ranger District. She got involved in this work her first year with the agency. “This work immediately stood out to me as important because of the multiple uses and species it supports,” remembered Lowe. “While treatments are designed to support Gunnison sage-grouse conservation, the work goes beyond that to benefit the entire sagebrush ecosystem.”

Image shows a male sage grouse courting a female sage grouse on the prairie. — Female and male Gunnison sage-grouse, April 2025. *(Image courtesy of Brooke Vasquez, Colorado Parks and Wildlife)*

Save the meadows, save the sage-grouse

The Gunnison sage-grouse is a rare species, federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Because of its status, the Forest Service shares responsibility for its conservation on national forests and grasslands, including the protection and restoration of its habitat. In this semi-arid landscape, moist areas are critical to the bird’s life cycle, providing essential brood-rearing habitat for young chicks. Wet meadows and riparian zones within the sagebrush ecosystem offer vital vegetation and insect food sources throughout the summer and fall. Given their rarity and importance, restoring these habitats is one of the most effective actions we can take to support the conservation and recovery of the Gunnison sage-grouse.

Bill Zeedyk, retired Forest Service employee and one of the main developers of this restoration technique, was involved in this project from the start. He remembers how efforts and enthusiasm for conserving the sage-grouse led to broader efforts to conserve sagebrush meadows.

“The driver that brought our partnership together is Gunnison sage-grouse conservation and motivated people that care deeply about the bird and what it represents – the sagebrush ecosystem, sagebrush-dependent species, ecosystem services and land-based livelihoods,” explained Zeedyk. “We’ve convened around the common cause of restoring habitat for the threatened Gunnison sage-grouse.”

A group of people build a small stone structure in a grassy meadow. — Forest Service employees and volunteers with High County Conversation Advocates hand-build small grade control structures at Black Sage Pass, Gunnison Ranger District. This area is a wet meadow within Gunnison sage-grouse designated critical habitat and efforts have been ongoing in the area since 2018. Improving the area's ability to retain moisture can enhance its drought resistance and help sustain local wildlife. *(USDA Forest Service photo by Sarah Lowe second from left)*

A powerful partnership

A project this complex requires collaboration among all kinds of people across landownership and management boundaries. One of the greatest accomplishments of this project has been the partnership – bringing together people with diverse backgrounds and differing cultural and land management perspectives to work together towards a common goal.

Since its inception, this project has grown steadily, expanding its reach and impact. With initial coordination from The Nature Conservancy, the Wet Meadow and Riparian Habitat Restoration project launched restoration efforts on private lands in 2012, later extending the work to public lands in 2013. Since then, wetland and riparian restoration has continued annually in Gunnison Ranger District, with additional sites added in Grand Valley Ranger District in 2018, further contributing to ecological health within the range of the Gunnison sage-grouse.

This work will continue at several project locations in the Gunnison and Grand Valley Ranger Districts and will include a new partnership with the Mule Deer Foundation. New restoration efforts and planning for future locations will remain a priority.

Investing in people and partnerships is key to sustaining this work and expanding restoration efforts. By increasing the pace and scale of wet meadow and riparian restoration, we can improve both water quality and quantity, while also strengthening resilience to drought—a factor that may ultimately help reduce wildfire risk.

Image shows a small pond developing behind a stone structure built across a prairie. — This completed wet meadow restoration grade control structure, called a one rock dam, was hand-built at the Gunnison Ranger District, located in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests. This area is a wet meadow within Gunnison sage-grouse designated critical habitat. Efforts have been ongoing in the area since 2015 to preserve and enhance habitat for wildlife. Structures like these stop soil erosion and enhance the area's capacity to retain moisture, which in turn strengthens its drought resistance and supports local wildlife. (USDA Forest Service photo by Matt Vasquez)

Additional information about this specific project, including partner contact information, can be found at the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy website.

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