Flow regulation structures at springs and wetlands designed to capture and divert water for livestock watering, are ubiquitous on western rangelands. Historically, the goal for a successful spring development was to maximize the amount of spring flow captured. The result has been dewatering of large numbers of aquatic habitats across the west. Today, the water needs of spring habitats and the overall ecological health of the local aquatic and terrestrial system are of equal or more importance. A cadre of ecologists, hydrologists, range conservationists and other specialists with experience in spring evaluation, monitoring and development, has recently worked on a series of considerations for water developments at springs. These considerations include innovative designs, best management practices for construction and maintenance of developments, and ideas for successful restoration.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.