Pinedale Aquatic Habitat Biologist Luke Schultz coordinated a habitat improvement project on the Rolling Thunder Ranch near Bondurant. The project involved using fence posts and willow cuttings to construct 18 artifical beaver dams (call beaver dam analogs) in riparian areas throughout the ranch. The idea is that beavers will improve and add to the structures over time, creating additional water and associated aquatic vegetation, benefitting a variety of fish and wildlife species.

The technique has been successfully implemented in many places throughout the western states. Assisting Luke was Pinedale Terrestrial Habitat Biologist Troy Fieseler, Jackson Aquatic Habitat Biologist Anna Senecal and partners from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. Post-construction monitoring will take place to evaluate the ecological effects of these Beaver Dam Analogs on fish populations, water temperature, vegetation,
and channel morphology.