Riparian areas — streamside zones near rivers, creeks, wetlands and other water bodies — support 80% of wildlife in arid rangelands, even though they make up just 2% of sagebrush landscapes. These areas are essential to both wildlife and working lands, but in recent years, natural resource professionals have grown increasingly concerned about their health and long-term resilience.
Despite their importance, most rangeland managers have no formal training in stream ecology or restoration. There is also a lack of practical tools for assessing stream health, especially for those without specialized expertise. The need for accessible, science-based guidance far exceeds the current capacity of trained specialists.
The tool is now in use across all sage-grouse conservation plans on private lands in Oregon, covering more than 600,000 acres.
In response, the Oregon State University Sagebrush Habitat Team — which includes OSU Extension researchers — partnered with an interagency working group to develop a basic riparian assessment tool tailored for use in sagebrush rangelands. Partners included the USDA Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Natural Desert Association, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, county soil and water conservation districts, and Eastern Oregon watershed councils.
To ensure the tool was practical and user-friendly, the team held eight workshops from 2022 to 2023 to train and gather feedback from prospective users across a range of experience levels. Based on this input, the team developed a flexible toolkit that includes:
- Two PNW Extension publications
- An in-depth manager’s guide
- A condensed field guide
- A collection of high-quality visuals — including photos, videos and 360-degree imagery — showing streams in different stages of health and degradation
The tool is now in use across all sage-grouse conservation plans on private lands in Oregon, covering more than 600,000 acres. In total, the program reached 179 professionals responsible for managing more than 22 million acres across the region. All participants reported gaining knowledge in at least one topic area, and most saw moderate to high improvement in their ability to assess riparian conditions, plan process-based restoration and monitor progress over time.
Participants gave enthusiastic feedback. One shared, “This is super interesting and I can use the concepts in my restoration work.” Another noted, “Awesome workshop. Extremely useful for someone who is just dipping their toes into mesic restoration projects.” Many asked for a longer version of the training, with one saying, “Excellent workshop. A full day would be great.”
Every attendee who completed an evaluation reported feeling comfortable identifying areas in need of management attention, and all said they were at least somewhat to highly likely to apply the approach in their future work.
Organizers hope the program will contribute to healthier riparian systems throughout sagebrush country — improving habitat for wildlife, sustaining working rangelands and building capacity for long-term ecological stewardship.
