In early 2024, they approached the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Klamath Watershed Partnership for help. With conservation specialists helping secure funding, the 14-acre area was restored by autumn that year.
Wildlife began using the habitat within days, and the wetland also helped reduce flooding elsewhere on the ranch, according to the federal agency. For Heidi and Stan Gorden, ranchers at Bar GX Ranch in Bonanza, Oregon, a low-lying patch of land presented an unusual problem. It was too wet to cut hay but too dry to attract the wetland wildlife they wanted to see. Rather than continue struggling to use the area for agriculture, the couple explored whether restoring its natural wetland characteristics could make it more useful for wildlife and water management.
In early 2024, they contacted the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife programme and the Klamath Watershed Partnership, a local conservation organisation. The restoration was completed by autumn 2024. The project focused on restoring approximately 14 acres at Bar GX Ranch. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reported that the restoration was completed in autumn 2024.
Wildlife began using the restored wetland within days of the project’s completion, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Gordens’ project began with a patch of low-lying land that presented challenges for their working ranch. It was too wet to cut hay, limiting its agricultural use, but it did not provide the conditions needed to attract the wetland wildlife they wanted to support. Wetlands can provide feeding and resting areas for birds and other wildlife, but their ecological value depends on factors such as water levels, vegetation and the availability of suitable habitat. The Gordens saw an opportunity to restore the area rather than continue trying to use it for hay production. The partners worked with the couple to develop the restoration project and secure funding. Brian Hidden, from the federal agency’s conservation programme, and Mark Johnson of the Klamath Watershed Partnership helped coordinate the effort. The aim was to turn a difficult-to-farm area into functioning wetland habitat that could support wildlife while helping manage water on the property. Instead of trying to make the entire patch suitable for cutting hay, the restoration gave the land a different role within the ranch. The area could provide habitat for birds and other animals while retaining its importance as part of the property’s water system. However, its published account does not provide a detailed description of the earthworks, water-control structures, planting methods or other technical measures used to restore the site. It also does not disclose the project’s total cost or the amount of funding secured. The restoration was carried out with support from the Gordens’ conservation partners, which helped make the project possible on privately owned working land. Ducks, shorebirds and pronghorn were among the animals observed in the area. Photographs accompanying the agency’s report document several examples of wildlife at the site. These include Canada geese, a ruddy duck and white-faced ibis. Another photograph shows a sandhill crane flying over Canada geese feeding in the wetland.
In its report published on March 12, 2026, the US Fish and Wildlife Service quoted the Gordens expressing satisfaction with the restoration, the wildlife using their property and the support they received from their conservation partners. The US Fish and Wildlife Service reported that the restored wetland helped reduce flooding elsewhere on the ranch. At Bar GX Ranch, the agency specifically reported reduced flooding in other parts of the property following the restoration.
The couple also said they hoped to work with the partners on further projects. The arrival of wildlife so soon after the restoration provided an early indication that animals were using the habitat. Wetlands can offer birds access to food, shallow water and places to rest, depending on the conditions available at a particular site. The project had benefits beyond wildlife habitat. Wetlands can hold excess water and slow its movement across a landscape. By providing space for water to collect, they can sometimes reduce the amount or speed of runoff reaching surrounding areas. The effects depend on factors such as the wetland’s location, soil conditions, water levels and connections to nearby waterways. Its account does not quantify the reduction or state how much additional land became available for agricultural use. For the Gordens, the project addressed two concerns associated with the same patch of land: its limited usefulness for hay production and the need to support wetland wildlife. The restored area now serves as habitat while also contributing to water management on the ranch. The restoration brought together the Gordens, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Klamath Watershed Partnership. Hidden represented the federal agency’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife programme, while Johnson worked with the local conservation partnership. The federal programme works with private landowners to restore and improve wildlife habitat on their properties. Such assistance can help landowners access technical expertise and funding for conservation projects that might otherwise be difficult to undertake. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.