However, wetlands along desert rivers are incredibly important
for wildlife: for water, for fresh forage, for a place to escape
the often harsh weather on canyon rims. On the 45 Ranch, set
deep in one of the most remote corners of the Owyhee Canyonlands
of southwestern Idaho, a new restoration project is returning
wetlands to wildlife. Conservation buyers Charles Conn and
Dennis Fitzpatrick bought the ranch from The Nature Conservancy
in 2005, with the goal of funding conservation and restoration
work on the ranch. “The owners had a vision to return the river
bottom on their ranch to wetlands,” says Art Talsma, the
Conservancy’s director of stewardship. “It’s one of the largest
river bottoms along the Owyhee River, so it’s difficult to
overstate how important it is to wildlife.” The owners and the
Conservancy worked with GeoEngineers, a Boise firm specializing
in river restoration, to restore 26 acres of wetlands and 45
acres of native grasses to the river bottom. Royce Construction
handled the on-the-ground