The Three Amigos
The Three Amigos were planted together in the spring of 2021, and monitored ever since! The photograph shows them this spring. the Salix bebbianna has been nipped off by a beaver, so the arrow points to the stump.
The first year
Additional Information
September 10, 2023
The Three Amigos Update!
In the spring of 2021, as part of the Bow Valley Riparian Recovery and Enhancement Program, another planting of riparian habitat units was carried out, along the Bighill Creek in the town of Cochrane, Alberta. Among the many plantings that spring, a small sample site was identified as ideal for annual monitoring and showcase use for this publication.
The planting of the three amigos consisted of two Salix exigua, and one Salix bebbianna or discolor, it is hard to tell from just the cutting, what exact variety of those two this one could be, but it doesn’t matter, both varieties are native to the stream.
The exigua are really easy to identify, and a previous planting of the same, right next to the new planting site, was a smart choice. The Salix exigua is clonal in a root system and many suckers will occur, however, this is really good for stream bank stability, and this particular site was a stream bank rehab, so exigua was chosen as the main variety, with the other thrown in for biodiversity.
The three amigos - Quick Review
Planting day photo 2021
The other Salix variety is either bebbianna or discolor, but it was planted to provide some proper bioldiversity. Never plant a mono culture! This planting was a stream bank stabilization planting!
Early spring of 2023
This spring I took this photograph, before the grass grew too tall to see the three amigos, growing well and fast!
The other variety of Salix has been a meal for a passing beaver, migrating upstream. The beavers prefer Salix varieties other than the exigua, so keep this in mind for tough planting grounds!
A June 29th, 2023 photo
A June 29th, 2023 photo
The big tree trunk in the top is from a previous planting of Salix exigua that I did in 2014, the first year of the BVRR&E Program, of riparian planting on the Bighill Creek. It was now the tenth year of successful planting in the program! The rest of the survival depends on fate!
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Be a stream tender!