1. Archaeological research that we conducted on our land revealed that this location has been used by people for over ~10,500 years—probably longer once the excavations and research has been completed. Those excavations showed multiple flooding events over the course of probably thousands of years. These events are represented by higher energy sand deposits, and some lower energy silt deposits. The reason people were spending time on these muddy/sandy banks is as yet unknown, but we have also found evidence of fishing-related artifacts such as net weights (large rocks with a carved groove) and a crescent-like biface, which tends to be used by fishing populations.
In more recent times, we know that Lewis and Clark passed by our property as they traveled along this arm of the Jefferson river on their voyage. Jumping forward at least a hundred years, I know that the flow rate for the Jefferson slough is managed, as old-timers have told me that it was impassable on foot or horse during spring runoff. I could go on about the history of our place, but I’ll jump to the more recent years.
We purchased the property in 2020 and the previous owners placed an electric fence on the edge of the steep banks, I think in part to deter fishermen. We have noticed beaver activity. We occasionally have small willows gnawed down, and our biggest cotton wood was munched heavily by beavers before we bought the place (and somehow it’s still standing!).
No one seems to remember the last time this place flooded, and my guess is that it hasn’t happened in living memory. Nevertheless, it is a major concern for us. We know that our soils are compacted, lacking the pour spaces to be able to act as a sponge if a flooding event did happen. The banks are very steep, and we would like to see them restored and having a better relationship with the river.
2). My goals for the land are extensive. I would like to see our land become a food forest / silvopasture, and I would like the land to make friends with the river rather than just being acquaintances. This will require rejuvenating the soil biology and multiplying the microorganisms that will support these later-succession plant species.
All plants require aerobic soil microorganisms to extract the nutrients from the minerals in soil and convert them to a bioavailable form. Weedy plants tend to like soils that are dominant in bacteria because bacteria produce nitrate. Later-succession plants such as shrubs and trees need a fungal-dominated soil because they require more ammonium. A soil that is fungal dominated cannot support weeds. I plan on creating “biocomplete” compost loaded with beneficial, aerobic fungi to multiply the LOCALLY adapted microorganisms so I can achieve this goal much faster than nature could do by herself. These organisms will not only benefit the plants, but also open up pore spaces in the soil to eliminate runoff, increase water retention, and many more benefits.
I would love to see whether I can introduce some of techniques introduced in this course to start repairing the stream banks. I need to figure out whether that’s possible since I know this stretch of the river is designated as a canoe trail.
