Tuleyome's Sulphur Creek Easement Update
Nate Lillge • May 16, 2024
Beaver Dam Analog on Sulphur Creek Easement
Since 2012, Tuleyome has held a conservation easement of 1200 acres, located along Molok Luyuk's eastern slopes. The easement abuts public land that is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and protects Sulphur Creek - which flows into Bear Creek and then into Cache Creek.
Before the easement was transferred to Tuleyome, a many-year restoration project improved the ecological functionality of the Sulphur Creek watershed. Restoration effort have continued - the latest of which are beaver dam analogs (BDAs). These man-made structures are intended to mimic a natural beaver dam - improve riparian ecosystems, increase water infiltration, decrease impacts from flood events, and even entice beavers to the area (or provide habitat if they are reintroduced). The BDAs dams do not stop water nor prevent it flowing. Instead, these structures slow down the flow to decrease its erosion potential and encourage the widening of the stream.
The BDAs that have been installed thus far have been effective - small flows of water have been slowed down and turned once channelized and eroded valleys into wide streams with an abundance of life. Soils remain wetter later into the summer, providing reliable moisture for plants and animals.
-Nate Lillge (nlillge@tuleyome.org)
Tuleyome Adventures and Engagement Director
Certified California Naturalist
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