In the Imperial Valley, agriculture and invasive salt cedar dominate much of the landscape, including the riparian corridors of the Alamo and New Rivers. Wildlife continues to rely on the remaining habitat, especially migratory birds of the Pacific Flyway. Large-scale habitat restoration offers a solution to the dwindling native vegetation and declining habitat connectivity. In 2020, River Partners launched its first-ever restoration project in Imperial County, located along the Alamo River, an important riparian corridor that flows into the Salton Sea. Over 100 acres have been restored, with many more to go. To record species diversity in both pre- and post-restoration project fields, River Partners deployed six wildlife cameras and twelve autonomous recording units (ARUs). In one year of sampling, we detected 124 species on the ARUs and 43 species on the cameras, several of which are sensitive species, such as the American Badger. Species richness was highest in the Spring and Fall, when seasonal bird migration occurs along the Pacific Flyway. Such rich biodiversity underscores the need to continue creating high-quality wildlife habitat along the Alamo. We will present our findings and recommendations for deploying these devices to support restoration efforts in the region.

Madeline Perreault is a Biologist at River Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing California’s rivers by restoring critical riparian and floodplain habitats. She holds a master’s degree in Biology from UC San Diego. Madeline applies her technical expertise in biology and ecology to implement and monitor large scale restoration projects across California, primarily in Imperial County. She is passionate about restoring riparian corridors to benefit imperiled species of wildlife and to promote long-term ecological health.