Zeedyk Structure Timelapse

Watch these Zeedyk structures in action throughout their first year of implementation. Zeedyk structures are simple hand-built structures used in meadow restoration that are typically built out of rocks, soil and sticks. Taking one look across a sea of sagebrush in Wyoming’s late summer heat, one thing was clear — the land was drying out. The lush green of spring had faded almost entirely, except an emerald strip of vegetation in a meadow bordered by the drying sagebrush sea. While most of the moisture was gone in this particular section of the Bar Cross Ranch northwest of Cora, this sponge-like meadow retained what little water remained. While wet meadows make up a sliver of the land in Wyoming, these areas provide critical habitat for about 80 percent of Wyoming’s wildlife species. But there was one problem; some of the sponge-like soil in the meadow began to wash away. The dry bed of a seasonal stream was beginning to show worsening signs of erosion, but it wasn’t too late to prevent more erosion. This was the draw for 20 workshop participants who were on-site ready to stop the erosion, help restore this meadow and learn new techniques Zeedyk structures help restore meadows and the range of animals that depend on them. A zuni bowl helps stop the eroding channel from progressing up the meadow. The treatment armors the dirt with a rock shield to stop valuable soils from washing away. They also have the added benefit of holding water in the bowl for livestock and wildlife to drink when other sources have dried up. Rock rundowns offer armor for headcuts, but are implemented on less severe headcuts. Then there is the One Rock Dam. ORDs are made up of many rocks, but get their name because they are one rock high. A string of rocks are placed across an eroded channel to slow water down, move some of the water out of the channel and spread it out across the meadow. The thin layer of water, known as sheet flow, is ideal for the meadow to retain as much water as possible. ORDs work by slowing water down so sediment sinks and begins to fill in the eroded channel above the structure. Media Lunas, which is Spanish for “half moon,” are crescent-shaped structures that create sheet flow, similar to an ORD, but they work best toward the end of an eroded channel. In total, participants helped the landowner of the Bar Cross Ranch install a mix of 43 Zeedyk structures on a small reach of stream. The area was chosen for the workshop because it provides valuable habitat for wildlife such as crucial ranges for pronghorn and mule deer and sage grouse Core Area. Drought-fueled wildfires and smoky skies have been a persistent reminder that much of the western U.S. is in the grip of a severe drought. While the drought presents many challenges, simple solutions like Zeedyk structures can help make critical habitats for wildlife and livestock more resilient and productive in dry conditions. This video shows all of the Zeedyk structures, that the workshop participants created, throughout the first year of use. .