Habitat Restoration

Together we are restoring the High Line Canal’s habitat

The Conservancy is working with our partners to adapt Canal management approaches to advance holistic habitat restoration. This strategy is new to the Conservancy but is a combination of tried-and-true approaches to natural resource management we've used over the years. Our goal is that this pilot will improve conditions for both trail users and wildlife alike and become the new go-to strategy on the Canal.  

Habitat Restoration

Crews of trained naturalists and certified arborists are assessing the individual needs of segments of the Canal in Littleton, Denver, Aurora and unincorporated Arapahoe County. These pilot project areas will help the Conservancy and our jurisdictional partners determine how Canal management can be improved to support habitat now and into the future.  

This project will both improve the Canal's natural resources to benefit trail users and wildlife while also helping to strengthen the Canal's green stormwater function. Crews will be removing trash from the Canal along with brush and debris that prevent stormwater flow. They'll also be clearing these sections of undesirable invasive vegetation, such as buckthorn and Russian olive that outcompetes native and desirable trees and shrubs.  

Habitat restoration work is necessary with the water transition the Canal is undergoing – our goal is to support the next generation of tree canopy along the Canal despite the changing conditions. With less water in the corridor, removing water-loving undesirable vegetation will maximize water availability for both riparian species and more drought tolerant plants. As aging trees die, or as trees die from this habitat transition, our crews will harness the value these trees provided by leaving dead trees standing and pruning them to continue providing habitat services for birds and insects. 

Crews will also be spreading native grass seeds along the Canal through Aurora, improving habitat and helping further facilitate this ecosystem transition in some of the driest areas of the Canal. 

Projects

Littleton Irrigated Tree Planting Pilot

The City of Littleton and the Conservancy are partnering on a tree planting project. The first step of this project is to clear a 0.5-mile stretch of the Canal of invasive buckthorn and Russian olive. This both improves habitat now and supports desirable vegetation while opening ground and canopy space to support Littleton and the Conservancy in planting desirable trees later, such as cottonwood, hackberry, or oaks. This two-phase project will provide better shade and habitat in the future. Crews will be completing the first phase in Fall 2025, and the irrigation planting will be completed in 2026. 

Restoration in the Northeast

Crews will be completing habitat and natural resources restoration throughout Denver, Aurora and unincorporated Arapahoe County (collectively referred to as the Northeast) from Fall 2025 through Spring 2026. This is part of a major investment from the Conservancy's Stewardship Fund to improve the condition of the Canal and is being completed in partnership with Arapahoe County, Denver Water, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and Canal Collaborative partners. Beginning at the I-25 crossing, crews will work their way north, evaluating the natural resource needs of each area and enhancing habitat along the way. 

Habitat Restoration FAQs

Although the Canal is a human-made feature, it has come to function as riparian, or stream, habitat over the past 140 years as it transported water. Not only do its mature cottonwoods and riparian trees provide cover and forage for birds and wildlife, but the structure of the Canal also provides a unique route for safe passage by wildlife through an increasingly dense urban area. The Conservancy aims to support and bolster that feature of the Canal despite the current water and ecosystem transition.  

The vast majority of shrub and midstory removal taking place along the Canal is to remove invasive plants that outcompete desirable native trees and shrubs. Native plants are being thinned in select instances, not removed. This includes where they are either growing too densely with one another and failing to produce taller shade canopy or where they are outcompeting desirable tree saplings. Our goal is to facilitate the growth of the next generation of tree and shrub canopy along the Canal, which requires these up-front removal actions. 

One of the primary modern functions of the Canal is to convey stormwater that drains from streets and neighborhoods. Stormwater in the Canal provides many benefits including water quality and vegetation support on the Canal. Debris piles and dams prevent the effective stormwater function of the Canal, so it occasionally needs to be cleared. Conveniently, crews also clear trash and other undesirable materials out of the Canal when doing debris sweeps! 

Standing dead material is a vital habitat feature in any natural open space. Raptors will perch on dead trees, or snags, when stalking prey below. Some birds will nest on them, and they can host dozens of insect species that bore into the wood, helping it decompose naturally. To maximize this habitat value, arborists on our crews will evaluate dead trees and leave them standing when they do not pose a safety risk to trail users but could provide a habitat benefit. We affectionately refer to these snags as habitat trees. 

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