Land and Riparian Keepers
Restore
At Badger Creek Ranch our mission is stewardship. We envision the restoration of the land back to a healthy ecosystem. We practice regenerative agriculture, a philosophy based on improving the land health and integration of people and the land.
Rotational Grazing
We live on the land with our animals, moving livestock regularly throughout our pastures in accordance with the needs of the animals and the land alike. This grazing practice supports the growing season of the grasses with adequate time for rest and rejuvenation. The benefits are plentiful.
For the herd: Rotational grazing allows us to actively lay eyes on each animal and ensure each one is sound and healthy. This practice promotes our philosophy of low stress stockmanship.
For the land: Rotational grazing, with the utilization of our new EQIP Water Points Project, decreases the disturbance and impact on the riparian areas. Planned grazing is a beneficial way to manage land health.
Riparian Restoration
The riparian area has been an ongoing project at the ranch working under the leadership of the Central Colorado Conservancy and other partnering organizations. Our goal is the prepare the land to catch and retain more rainwater, slow down flashfloods to reduce erosion. The results are improved our pastures for grazing and improved habitat for wildlife.
Riparian Demonstration area
Erosion Control
Erosion control structures were built through hands-on instruction and learning how to read the landscape to better understand surface water flow and the erosion process. One such structure is the Zuni Bowl which is a riparian restoration technique involving rocks, water, biology and time. It’s a great way of dealing with a small headcut (or erosion which is about to become a headcut) in order to prevent it from continuing along farther.
Our Goals for 2022:
Plan, build and implement our new irrigation system
Implement the 2022 rotational grazing project
Baseline soil testing to determine current nutrient levels
The next phase of our on-going land/ riparian project, we are transforming the current pond back to its natural state as a creek bed, in order for the land and animals to be nourished the way this water source was intended.
Included in this project will be installing a new headgate to maximize the water flow and install piping for land irrigation to spread the moisture back into the land, a vital step towards restoring the creek flow on the ranch and downstream as it travels on to the Arkansas River.Implement a 2- year plan created by the Audubon Society, called the “Audubon’s Conservation Ranching Program,” that will improve the habitats for our local bird species.
Want to get involved?
Head over to our Ways to Join Us page