Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/20776
JEFF LASZLO Excavating O’Dell Creek away from the ditches. Jeff Laszlo KIM YABLONSKI Through It nature to take over. Laszlo proudly shares the before and after photos which are nothing less than striking in their contrast. The new route for the O’Dell Creek was designed by us- ing Lidar technology, in which a plane flies over and scans the area with a laser beam that is then used to create a 3D topographical image. A complex engineering plan was then drawn up which re-routed the stream away from the current ditches in order to get the stream up on the flood- plain. It now meanders in such a way that has doubled the mileage of the creek. “A very special thing about the restoration project is that it is not attempting to be directed at a single species. It aims to restore the whole ecosystem including vegeta- tion, birds, water quality, and fish,” Laszlo said. One partner, the University of Montana’s Avian Science Center, recorded an increase in the species of birds from www.distinctlymontana.com MADISON VALLEY FAMILY WINS NATIONAL WETLANDS AWARD BY KIMBERLEY YABLONSKI 10 to more than 100 in less than five years. Some of those species were rare to this area and in decline in the West. The restoration also improved O’Dell Creek water flow levels as much as 25% at certain times of the year and it lowered the water temperature which now allows brown and rainbow trout to thrive. As a vital tributary to the Madison River all of these benefits are passed downstream. The creek is entirely on private land with the majority on the Granger Ranches. The success of the project has led other landowners to allow work to take place on their sec- tions of the O’Dell Creek as well. Having said that, Laszlo says there were people who weren’t supportive of the project. Some people didn’t like the fact that he took cattle off part of the ranch. Right now, there is a grazing exclusion until 2015 for certain areas. He also worked with The Trust for Public Land to create conservation easements on sections of the property. 69