Shrub Steppe Water Retention Strategies

This poster is a resource designed to aid all who manage landscapes in shrub steppe habitats in implementing practices that will reduce water usage, saving money and growing resilient landscapes. Feel free to use this poster for your own (non-commercial) uses, as long as you credit me (Miguel Symonds Orr)!

Note: From my personal experience, talus garlands can sometimes burn adjacent plant leaves in summer due to the heat stone absorbs. However, I have also seen Ribes species grow in habitats much drier than they usually survive within talus garlands, so the benefits seem to outweigh the costs.

Poster Download Link

References:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/drought-persistent-in-eastern-washington-as-rain-deficit-draws-concern-in-northwest/

https://statesatrisk.org/washington/drought

https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Climate-change/Climate-change-the-environment/Water-supply-impacts

https://www.salmonrecovery.gov/Habitat/WaterTransactions.aspx

https://www.seattletimes.com/sponsored/environmental-impact-of-salmon-decline-this-isnt-just-about-fish/

Brad Lancaster – Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Volume 2

https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/ecosystems/shrubsteppe#desc-range

WSU AgWeatherNet

https://kjzz.org/content/350855/how-much-rain-does-tucson-get-annually

Ronald J. Taylor – Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary