Riparian Challenge Award

The purpose of the Riparian Challenge Award is to:

  • Encourage the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and other conservation agencies or private industry to strive for excellence in riparian and watershed habitat management,
  • Encourage agencies to progress in on‑the‑ground accomplishments which when added together throughout the West, will significantly improve riparian systems,
  • Recognize managers and resource specialists for their efforts in maintaining, restoring, and improving riparian and watershed ecosystems.

Details on the nomination process including deadlines can be found here.

 

Past Award Winners

2023
BLM: Roseburg District & Partnership for Umpqua Rivers: Rock Creek
Forest Service: Caribou—Targhee National Forest: Tincup Creek
2022
BLM: Coos Bay District, Myrtlewood Field Office – Floras Creek Riparian and Water Quality Enhancement
Forest Service: Greys River Ranger District, Bridger-Teton National Forest – Tribasin Fish Passage and Watershed Restoration
Other: McKenzie River Trust – Finn Rock Reach Floodplain Restoration: Phase 1
2021
BLM: Cedar City Field Office – Birch Creek Riparian Enhancement Project
Other: Big Hole Watershed Committee – French Creek Stream Restoration Project
2020
BLM: Burns District – Alder Creek Resilient Watershed Model Project
Forest Service: Willamette National Forest – Lower S. Fk. McKenzie River Floodplain Enhancement Project
Other: Sonoma Water – Dry Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
2019
BLM: Dillion Field Office – Keystone Gulch Restoration Project in southwestern Montana
Forest Service: Siuslaw National Forest – Fivemile Bell Watershed Restoration Project near Florence, Oregon
Other: McKenzie Watershed Council – Lower South Fork McKenzie River Floodplain Enhancement Project
2018
BLM: Bureau of Land Management, Mattole Salmon Group, and Mattole Restoration Council – Mattole River Estuary Riparian and Fish Habitat Restoration Project
Forest Service: Willamette National Forest, Middle Fork Ranger District, and Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council – Lower Staley Floodplain Restoration Project
Other: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Forest Service, and Tetra Tech, Inc. – Meacham Creek Floodplain Restoration and In-Stream Enhancement Projects
2017
BLM: Dolores River Restoration Partnership – Tres Rios (CO), Uncompahgre (CO), Grand Junction (CO) and Moab (UT) BLM Field Offices
Forest Service: Deer Creek Floodplain Enhancement Project – Willamette National Forest, McKenzie River Ranger District
Other: Salmon River Restoration – Sandy River Basin Partners
2016
BLM: Elko District BLM Field Office – Collaborative Restoration and Monitoring in Maggie Creek, NV
Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District, Mt. Hood National Forest – Still Creek Restoration Project
Other: Napa County Public Works, ESA – HNapa River Rutherford to Oakville Restoration
2015
BLM:Roseburg District BLM Office – Brush Creek Watershed Restoration
Forest Service:Okanogan Wenatchee Ranger District – Methow Beaver Project
Other:Coeur d’Alene Tribe – Hnmulshench (West Fork Lake Creek) Restoration Project
2014
BLM: Klamath Falls Resource Area for Wood River Wetland Restoration – Klamath Falls
Forest Service: Cascade Ranger District, Boise National Forest for the SF Salmon River Watershed Improvement
Other: BioEngineering Associates, Inc. in partnership with Odd Fellows Recreation Club for the Lower Russian River Riparian Restoration
2013
BLM:
Forest Service: Pike and San Isabel National Forests, the Cimarron Comanche National Grasslands, and the South Platte and Pikes Peak Ranger Districts for the Hayman Restoration Project
Other: Westervelt Ecological Services for the Cosumnes Floodplain Mitigation Bank project
2011
BLM: Coos Bay District – 2010 Partnership Watershed Restoration Projects
San Luis Resource Area – Kerber Creek Restoration Project
Forest Service: Sisters Ranger District, Deschutes National Forest – Whychus Creek Restoration at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve
Other: Seattle Public Utilities – Lower Tolt River Floodplain Reconnection Project
2010
BLM: Wolf Creek Watershed Restoration and Monitoring Project, Roseburg District, Swiftwater Resource Area
Forest Service: New Mexico: Respect the Rio, Jemez & Cuba Ranger Districts, Santa Fe National Forest
Other: Native Fish Restoration Project for the Temescal Creek Watershed, Riverside-Corona RCD
2009
BLM: North Coquille River Restoration Project, Coos Bay District
Forest Service: West Fork Clear Creek Streambank Restoration Project, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grasslands
Other:
2008
BLM: Holister Field Office, Santa Cruz IWRP for Santa Cruz County
Forest Service: Eustache Creek Project, Lolo National Forest, Nine Mile Ranger District
Other: Williamson River Delta Restoration Project, The Nature Conservancy;
The Big Hole Partnership – Watershed Restoration for Arctic Grayling on Private Land, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
2007
BLM: Tillamook Resource Area Riparian Restoration Effort, Salem District Field Office
Forest Service: Down Doggy Project, Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District
Other: End Creek Project, Grande Ronde Model Watershed
2006
BLM: Lower Clear Creek watershed project, Redding Field Office
Forest Service: McKenzie watershed project, McKenzie River Restoration Partnership for the
Other: Cienega Watershed project, PIMA County Board
2005
BLM: Delaware River project, Carlsbad Field Office
Forest Service: Karnowsky Creek Riparian Restoration project, Mapleton Ranger District of the Siuslaw National Forest
Other: Entiat Water Resource Inventory Area Plan
2004
BLM: Carson Field Office
Forest Service: Mt. Adams Ranger District
Other: Restore McComas Meadows/Meadow Creek Watershed Project, Nez Perce Tribe
2003
BLM:
Forest Service:
Other:
2002
BLM: Swiftwater and South River Field Offices, Roseburg District
Forest Service: Coeur d’Alene River Ranger District
Other: