For decades, cattle grazed the vegetation growing alongside Dixie Creek continuously throughout the summer. A stream that once supported Nevada’s native cutthroat trout, was reduced to a trickle in the bottom of a deep gully. In 1991, the Elko District of the Bureau of Land Management built some fences around Dixie Creek so the livestock grazing in the area could be managed. Within just a few years, the plants that grow naturally along streams came back. After about ten years, these streamside plant communities were robust enough to attract beaver. The beaver built dams that captured and slowed stream flows, ultimately creating a landscape full of water and wildlife even during recent periods of severe drought. This film interviews stakeholders of this special place in Nevada to show how a recovered stream can benefit a wide range of interests and offer hope for a better future.

Watch the video and learn more about the project over at Partners in the Sage.