Images

This is a photo of a dam in the lower Yakima River. Efforts to ameliorate the negative effects of diversion dams on aquatic species of concern are important in rivers where water withdrawal supports agricultural economies, and they are likely to become increasingly important with impending climate change. 

Survival probability estimates and 95% confidence intervals for yearling Chinook Salmon, juvenile steelhead, and subyearling Chinook Salmon at three diversion dams on the Yakima River, Washington.

Estimated relationship between entrainment probability and proportion of river flow entering canals at Wapato Dam, Sunnyside Dam, and Prosser Dam on the Yakima River, Washington. The relationships are shown at the mean total river flow for (A) yearling Chinook Salmon, (B) juvenile steelhead, and (C) subyearling Chinook Salmon.

Laura Shriver, RAMPS coordinator, gives a tour of a Northern Arizona RestoreNet site to Northern Arizona University students. Photo by Jessica Archibald (Diablo Trust).

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and University of Arizona collaborate with Diablo Trust ranchers on range improvement and restoration efforts on Northern Arizona rangelands. Photo by Jessica Archibald (Diablo Trust).

A RestoreNet site in Northern Arizona with late summer monsoon rain clouds in the background. Photo by Laura Shriver.

America’s diverse ecosystems are an asset to current and future generations by supporting economically and recreationally important fish, wildlife, and lands. Healthy ecosystems support people and nature, fostering prosperity and enjoyment for all. 

America’s diverse ecosystems are an asset to current and future generations by supporting economically and recreationally important fish, wildlife, and lands. Healthy ecosystems support people and nature, fostering prosperity and enjoyment for all. 

RestoreNet is a networked ecological restoration experiment spanning drylands of the American Southwest. It is engaging diverse partners to develop methods for successful revegetation projects that mitigate the effects of drought, invasion by non-native species, and land use practices.

Bulldozer lines create breaks in vegetation and are commonly used when fighting wildfires.  This dozer line was created during the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County, California in January 2025.

Scenic view of the red rock mesas surrounding Canyonlands Research Center (The Nature Conservancy) in southern Utah.

Cattle inside a grazing enclosure at Canyonlands Research Center (The Nature Conservancy) in southern Utah.

A RestoreNet Field Trial Network restoration experiment site in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, in spring 2024. Photo by Laura Shriver (USGS).

Accomplishments in Native Seed Development.

Covers of the Plant Conservation Alliance National Seed Strategy Progress Report for 2022 and 2023 (left) and the National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration (right).

A USGS field crew working on soil sampling, plant community monitoring, and soil water infiltration in the Colorado 'front range.'

A USGS scientist uses the grid-point intercept method to characterize plant communities in Larimer County, Colorado. The grid-point intercept method uses points along a grid to sample plant species or ground cover within a larger plot.

USGS scientists dig small ‘micro pits' to collect soil for testing. The team is careful to minimize the impact to the environment. Soil is stored on a tarp while sampling so it can be returned to the pit afterwards.

A USGS scientist prepares a mini-disc infiltrometer to assess soil water infiltration. The degree to which water can infiltrate soil is closely tied to soil carbon content.

USGS scientists identifying plant community composition in Larimer County, Colorado. Information on plant community composition is critical for understanding differences in soil carbon-responses to exotic annual grass invasion between sites. 

Desert marigold (Baileya multiradiata) blooming in a monitoring quadrat at a RestoreNet site in Northern Arizona. Photo by Laura Shriver (USGS).