Nature Conservancy Works To Restore Oklahoma’s Blue River

The Nature Conservancy is working to revive Oklahoma’s Blue River by planting 1000’s of native bushes close by.

The work, which has roots in Tulsa, is a part of a larger effort to guard the river for future generations.

The Blue River flows for greater than 140 miles by means of southern Oklahoma. It helps greater than 80 completely different species of fish. Different wildlife, and other people rely upon it, too.

And it is a part of John Moody’s yard. The land has been in his household for 4 generations.

“We’re very proud stewards of this little piece of what we predict is paradise right here on the Blue River,” Moody mentioned.

That paradise wants defending, says The Nature Conservancy, Chickasaw Nation, and different companions. Collectively they’re working to “restore” the river.

“It is really a really high-quality river. However we simply do not wish to see it get degraded or in poor high quality,” Jeanine Lackey with The Nature Conservancy mentioned. She is the mission director for the Arbuckle Plains and Blue River.

“Proper now, the higher portion of the Blue shouldn’t be in hassle, however let’s not wait till it’s in hassle,” Chickasaw Nation Director of Pure Assets Kris Patton mentioned.

Over the past 200 years, The Nature Conservancy mentioned native bushes have been lower down and the land across the river was remodeled into hay meadows, opening the door to issues like erosion.

Now The Nature Conservancy is taking steps to breathe new life into the river, by turning to historic roots within the floor.

TNC planted 4,001 bushes in 2020 alongside a small a part of the river. This was the bushes’ second summer season within the floor.

The Nature Conservancy was strategic about what to plant. Scientists and volunteers put 14 completely different sorts of bushes and shrubs within the floor. The entire crops got here from Southwood’s in Tulsa.

The nursery grew the seedlings and shrubs primarily based on a plant listing from TNC and the Oklahoma Organic Survey, exhibiting what would have been native to the land.

Lackey and TNC Watershed Well being Director Kim Elkin are ready for Cottonwood, Oak, Pecan bushes, and others to develop.

“Ultimately they will develop as much as be actually massive bushes,” Lackey mentioned. “And all these roots assist hold that soil in place. And that simply helps us restore that system to the best way it was once traditionally.”

And that, scientists mentioned, will finally have an effect downstream. The Metropolis of Durant depends upon the Blue River for all of its water. So does the Choctaw Nation. The Nature Conservancy expects the work it’s doing now to save lots of town cash as a result of the water will not want as a lot therapy.

However the actuality is that it’ll take a long time to see the influence.

“It is simply going to take a very long time,” Lackey mentioned. “However that is the enterprise we’re in, you recognize? We’re restoring ecosystems that took a long time to get degraded. And it will take a long time to turn into resilient.”

The Nature Conservancy is doing this work the place it may well, alongside one mile of the Blue River it owns. However many of the land alongside the river is owned by personal landowners.

“As you see the Blue immediately, it isn’t as blue because it usually is. It is received slightly little bit of a sediment load in it, from latest rains. And so it tells us we nonetheless have work to do right here. There’s work to be completed with landowners,” Patton mentioned.

Patton works with landowners straight to assist them handle their land.

“It isn’t a regulatory operate. We’re not telling the landowners what to do,” he mentioned. “We’re simply saying if there is a observe, a greatest administration observe that you simply wish to implement, we will work with you thru this group to determine the right way to get that funded.”

Patton factors to Moody for example of somebody main the best way.

“I feel the steadiness that ranchers, landowners, (and) land stewards should face is the expense of one thing as aggressive as planting bushes. Not all people can afford to try this,” Moody mentioned.

One factor he is doing is definitely eradicating some bushes from his property: the invasive Japanese Redcedar.

“There’s nothing rising right here; it is all cedar leaves which have died,” Moody mentioned whereas pointing to the bottom on a part of his property.

“Eradicating this and restoring it offers you extra grazable acres and it additionally improves the habitat throughout the riparian space,” mentioned Patton.

“That is precisely proper,” mentioned Moody.

Moody confirmed Information On 6 a part of his property the place he had cedars eliminated. The distinction within the land is apparent: it is lush and inexperienced, as an alternative of barren.

It is only one instance of what Moody is doing to enhance this ecosystem as a result of The Nature Conservancy cannot do it alone.

“I am hoping my granddaughters have a look at it the identical approach and take care with it when it turns into their flip to make choices,” Moody mentioned.

The Nature Conservancy mentioned the rationale it’s in a position to do that $3 million restoration mission is due to the Oklahoma Division of Transportation.

Federal laws, together with the Clear Water Act, requires transportation departments to revive wetlands and streams if any everlasting impacts have been made by building work from roads and bridges.