Existing comment:
How long will it take?
It will take 20 to 50 years for mature forests to re-grow along the streams, but already there is a dramatic change. Young trees are growing vigorously and wet-loving wild rose is out-competing sagebrush.
Some resources will not be restored. For example, Rush Creek cut down through the Rush Creek delta as the lake level dropped. The stream channel cannot be brought back to its former level on the delta. Instead, the lake will rise and fill the downcut stream channel, creating an embayment -- a "ria" -- at the mouth of the stream. There will be new, different resource values associated with the ria.
Monitoring:
Monitoring is a means of tracking progress and providing information for making changes, if needed, to restoration. |