Watershed Stewardship Program

Meadow Restoration

Every Meadow Matters

A scenic landscape features a grassy field in the foreground, a dense forest of evergreen trees on a hillside in the middle ground, and a bright blue sky with some scattered clouds overhead.

Healthy, open meadows are vital to our local ecosystems. They offer rich habitat for wildlife, shelter for prey, open sightlines for predators, and distinct growing conditions that support diverse native plants.

Years of fire suppression have allowed conifers to spread unchecked, shrinking meadow habitats into surrounding forests. To address this, The Watershed Center uses satellite imagery to identify historic meadow sites, then sends restoration crews into the field to confirm findings and begin the work of bringing these meadows back to life.

Over time, many of Trinity County’s meadows have been overtaken by conifer trees and altered by channel incision — processes that drain water from the landscape too quickly and make it difficult to locate historic meadow areas.

Restoring Natural Water Flow

Historic logging and grazing have changed the way water moves through many of Trinity County’s meadows. These altered stream flows reduce the land’s ability to retain water and store carbon — two key functions of healthy meadow ecosystems.

To restore balance, The Watershed Center is taking action:

  • Building beaver dam analogs (BDAs) to slow water flow, allowing it to spread and soak into the soil.

  • Launching a stage-zero restoration at Corral Gulch to reconnect the stream with its floodplain and restore natural meandering patterns.

These efforts help rehydrate the landscape, improve habitat, and support the long-term resilience of local ecosystems.

Meadow Restoration in Action

  • A man wearing sunglasses, a gray cap, and a blue long-sleeve shirt stands in a grassy area next to a large, freshly dug hole in the ground in a forested area.

    Evidence of Meadow Degradation

    This head cut formed as a result of channel incision, where fast-moving water erodes the streambed and cuts deeper into the landscape. Over time, this process lowers the water table, drains the meadow, and disrupts the natural flow of water across the land.

  • Man standing outdoors next to a beaver dam in a river surrounded by trees with yellow and green leaves and a forested hillside in the background, under a clear blue sky.

    Slowing the Flow with BDAs

    By building beaver dam analogs (BDAs) from natural materials like logs, sticks, and mud, restoration crews can slow the movement of water through the meadow. This allows more moisture to soak into the soil and vegetation, helping to reduce erosion and restore the meadow’s natural hydrology

  • Group of people in outdoor forest clearing carrying a large fallen tree trunk on a wooden pole, with scattered logs and branches on the grass around them, surrounded by tall pine trees.

    Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!

    It takes many hands to move large woody debris. The Watershed Stewardship Program has learned BDA restoration techniques from our partners and now offers workshops to share knowledge and expand the impact of this work.

What is a Meadow?

It’s more complex than you’d think!

WRTC staff members Josh Smith and Bridger Cohan present their work on meadow identification and reclamation at the popular “Science on Tap” event in September 2024.