Restoration in Action
The Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative (KVRC) is committed to strengthening the Kawuneeche Valley’s natural systems, which will ultimately lead to improved water quality, a healthier watershed, enhanced recreation opportunities, and increased resilience to the impacts of hotter and drier conditions, such as floods and wildfires. Learn more about KVRC and our work in the video below.
Diving into KVRC’s Restoration Methods
KVRC’s restoration approach is considered low-tech and process-based, meaning we prioritize the use of natural wood and vegetation, and mimic natural processes as closely as possible. We use this approach at each of our project sites: Beaver Creek, Lower and Upper Baker Creeks, and Onahu Creek. This approach will enhance biodiversity, support resilience to hotter and drier conditions, support wildlife habitat and tall willow populations, and improve floodplain connectivity.
We recently installed three types of instream structures at our Beaver Creek project site. Instream structures are wood constructions placed in a stream or creek that mimic the positive environmental effects of beaver dams and log jams; benefits like reducing the speed of river flows, creating pools, capturing sediment, reducing erosion, and raising the water table and stream levels. We also installed exclosure fencing (a temporary fence that is installed to protect what’s inside the fencing) to protect willows from overbrowsing by elk and moose. The following graphics outline how this approach will restore the Kawuneeche Valley.
The Degraded State of the Valley
Dense willows used to stand tall in the Kawuneeche Valley, providing important material for beaver habitat that supports healthy wetlands. Since 1999, the Valley has lost 98% of its tall willows, which has reduced beaver ponds and surface water while allowing invasive plant species to spread more easily. With drier conditions, fewer willows, and smaller ponds, the Kawuneeche Valley’s landscape looks much different than it did just a few decades ago. The stream is now eroded, and the water table is lower. Because of all this, the Valley no longer provides many of its natural functions, including fire resilience, water quality support, and recreation.
Installing Instream Structures
To begin restoring the ecosystem, KVRC monitors several environmental factors, including stream flow and groundwater levels. Once we understand the state of a specific project site, we develop design plans. In Beaver Creek’s case, our plan included installing three types of instream structures to mimic beaver dam functions and restore the streambed and water table. Read more about them here.
After installing instream structures, water will begin to pool, and sediment will start to fall out, improving water quality.
Creating a Wider Stream
As the stream channel adjusts, sediment begins to settle out of the flow. This eventually helps reduce streambank erosion by slowing down the stream and forming pools. In periods of high runoff, streamflow spreads more broadly and provides better water access to more of the stream corridor.
At many of our sites, we will install exclosure fencing to protect the willows within the fenced areas. This will give willows time to grow tall enough to support beaver habitat in the future. To speed up the processes, we also plan to plant willows at some sites.
Our Natural Ecosystem Builders Return
KVRC uses low-tech, process-based techniques to create a lively, beaver-friendly habitat that they can move into and sustain or improve with time. We’ve observed beaver activity in the surrounding areas, suggesting that they may move into our restored sites when the ecosystem is healthy enough to support them. As they gradually return, we expect them to construct dams and revive the ponds and surface water that used to cover the Valley floor.
It's important to note that KVRC does not plan to reintroduce beavers. Instead, we will expand the viable habitat that already exists in Rocky Mountain National Park, giving them a chance to migrate naturally into the sites we’re restoring.
A Thriving Kawuneeche Valley
Restoring the Valley is a long-term effort spanning decades, with initial restoration work at each pilot site expected to occur over 2-3 years. Even after installing instream structures, it can take years for the streambed and water table to fully recover. Willows also need time to mature—many won’t reach a healthy height for decades, like the ones in Rocky Mountain National Park that grew just over three feet in 15 years. Though full restoration will unfold slowly, we’ll see progress along the way; for example, at Beaver Creek, where fencing and structures went in last year, the stream’s shape and water levels have already started to improve!
Get Involved This Summer!
One of the best ways to learn about KVRC restoration work is to see it in action! Come participate in a site tour or visit us at a community event. Our upcoming events include:
Town of Grand Lake Spring Cleanup Day
May 17, 2025 | 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Grand Lake | Town Park
We’re excited to attend the Town of Grand Lake’s Annual Spring Cleanup Day! The day will include a volunteer town cleanup, a tree-planting ceremony, and the Annual Gardeners’ Exchange. As you participate in the day’s festivities, be sure to stop by and meet local organizations (starting at 10 a.m.) working to support the local environment, including DarkSky, Grand County Wildfire Council, and KVRC! Learn more about the event here.
Troutfest Colorado
May 31, 2025 | 12 – 5 p.m.
Denver | Coors Field
Troutfest Colorado is a one-of-a-kind summer festival and celebration of conservation, education, and community. It’s an opportunity for anglers, would-be anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and families to learn more about conservation and fly fishing. It is free and open to the public. Be sure to stop by KVRC’s table!
Learn more about Troutfest, presented by Colorado Trout Unlimited, Colorado Wildlife Council, and the Colorado Lottery, at troutfestcolorado.com.
If you’re interested in engaging in our restoration work, KVRC may have willow planting opportunities later this season. Stay tuned for more information!
Monitoring Update
We’ve been busy analyzing monitoring data over the winter! Monitoring data helps us track changes in erosion, water flow, water quality, native plant growth, invasive species decline, and habitat conditions. One example of a key dataset we use to inform our decisions includes documenting how the instream structures installed at the Beaver Creek project site impact the stream characteristics, including the width and depth of the water in the channel. When documenting impacts in October 2024, we found that ponds, approximately three feet deep, formed behind some of the structures during one of the driest times of the year! Before the structures were installed, there was much less variability in water conditions at this site, indicating that restoration is already benefiting Beaver Creek.
Funding Work at Beaver Creek
KVRC completed our fall-winter work at Beaver Creek earlier this year! That means all 29 instream structures and 31 acres of exclosure fencing were installed. We will conduct an inspection when the snow is gone and make additional updates and repairs as necessary. Next, we’ll begin planting willows and continue our multi-year invasive species treatment. To learn more about our work at Beaver Creek, visit our website.
None of this work would be possible without our funders. The following organizations supported work at Beaver Creek.
In 2021, the Colorado Water Conservation Board supported KVRC’s hydrological and ecological conditions assessment and feasibility analysis through the Colorado Watershed Restoration Program. This work helped KVRC prioritize project sites and supported design for Beaver Creek. In 2024, the Colorado Water Conservation Board awarded KVRC additional funding to support monitoring at the site.
The Colorado River District awarded KVRC the Accelerator Grant to survey, begin project design, and conduct community engagement for the Beaver Creek site.
The Windy Gap Environmental Fund, administered by the Grand Foundation, funded the exclosure fencing installation and will fund willow planting later this year.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from Great Outdoors Colorado, Oxy, and the Walton Family Foundation, awarded KVRC a competitive grant through RESTORE Colorado to support construction of the instream structures.
Wetlands for Wildlife, awarded by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is funding KVRC's project implementation at the Onahu Creek site and outreach work, including education about the Beaver Creek site.
Many of KVRC’s collaborators, including Northern Water, Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and The Nature Conservancy, contributed funding to support Beaver Creek. Each collaborator also contributes in-kind time to design, implement, and move KVRC’s work forward.
Our work toward a healthier Kawuneeche Valley relies on grant funding. In 2023, the Bureau of Reclamation awarded KVRC a WaterSMART grant to support several project functions. This grant is funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and is undergoing a review, which has recently caused a pause in grant funding disbursements. We are hopeful that progress will continue soon in the Kawuneeche Valley.
Looking Ahead: Exciting Plans for Future Restoration
As KVRC wraps up at Beaver Creek, exciting new efforts are already in the works! This summer, the team will conduct surveys, map wetlands, and assess aquatic and terrestrial habitats in several areas to gather critical data. These studies will allow us to measure project success and guide future restoration designs to ensure projects are environmentally responsible and effective.
While we are focused on project monitoring, design, and environmental compliance, we will also continue to make restoration progress. KVRC will survey large acreages to determine the extent of invasive species, like Canada thistle, and will treat them to limit their spread. Additionally, about 1,600 willow and river birch cuttings spent the winter in the National Park’s greenhouse, eagerly waiting to get their roots wet at Beaver Creek later this season. Be on the lookout for planting updates!
Looking ahead, KVRC is planning its next big restoration project at Onahu Creek, scheduled to kick off in 2026. Similar to our work at Beaver Creek, this project will use nature-inspired techniques like instream structures to restore natural stream systems. Plans also include installing exclosure fencing to protect the area from overbrowsing by wildlife, ensuring native vegetation can thrive and support the ecosystem’s recovery.
Stay tuned as KVRC continues its mission to protect and rejuvenate the Kawuneeche Valley!
Thank you for your continued support in preserving and revitalizing the Kawuneeche Valley. Your engagement and interest are crucial as we move forward with our mission to restore this essential part of Colorado’s water landscape.