Each study identifies a function to examine in Homestake. Its location, season and methods stay with its findings.
Rocky Mountain National Park and vicinity, Colorado
Moose stay close to water in a Colorado summer study
In Rocky Mountain National Park and nearby areas, 90% of the sampled summer locations were within about 285 metres of mapped water. The mean distance was about 110 metres.
Why it matters for Homestake: Water, willow forage and nearby forest belong together in the habitat assessment.
Where studied, methods and source
21 adult moose; 1,672 GPS locations; June to August 2017 and 2018. Distance was measured to mapped flowing or standing water. The study used those observations to design an aerial survey.
Abouelezz & Hobbs (2025). Published online January 2025; assigned to the 2026 journal volume. Methods: habitat suitability model; Table 1. Inspection: Full text.
Read the study · HWF:V3-ST01
North-central Colorado Rocky Mountains
Diversions change the streamside landscape
Across 37 Colorado stream reaches, researchers found smaller channel dimensions below diversions and vegetation shifting toward drier-site species.
Why it matters for Homestake: A diversion review needs stream cross-sections, seasonal flows and plant transects through the connected floodplain.
Where studied, methods and source
North-central Colorado; 16 paired reaches and five unpaired reaches, with 100 vegetation sampling points per reach. Comparative field study.
Caskey et al. (2015; online 2014). 2015. Abstract; Methods; Table IV; discussion pp. 592–594. Inspection: Full text.
Read the study · HWF:V3-ST02
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Beaver dams influence water beyond the pond
Monitoring in Rocky Mountain National Park found that two beaver dams slowed seasonal groundwater decline across areas of 9 and 12 hectares, respectively.
Why it matters for Homestake: Protecting a beaver complex includes its groundwater and floodplain connections.
Where studied, methods and source
Two dams along 1.5 kilometres of stream in one 58-hectare valley, monitored during 2002 to 2005. The measured areas describe those dams and should not be added or applied as buffers elsewhere.
Westbrook, Cooper & Baker (2006). 2006. USGS publication abstract. Inspection: Agency-hosted abstract.
Read the study · HWF:V3-ST03
Four Colorado mountain fens
Restoring water levels leaves a longer peat recovery
At four previously drained Colorado fens, ditch blocking raised summer water tables. At the site restored 20 years earlier, disturbed surface peat still differed from reference peat.
Why it matters for Homestake: Mitigation must account for peat structure and the duration of lost function, alongside water levels and vegetation.
Where studied, methods and source
Four Colorado mountain fens restored 1 to 20 years before study. This research examined restoration of existing drained peat.
Schimelpfenig, Cooper & Chimner (2014). 2014. Abstract; Table 1; Results; author manuscript PDF pp. 1–6. Inspection: Full author manuscript.
Read the study · HWF:V3-ST04
Upper Shasta River, northern California
Flow carries food to fish
In northern California's upper Shasta River, drifting invertebrate prey approached zero below a diversion late in the season even though benthic biomass could be higher there.
Why it matters for Homestake: Homestake's aquatic assessment should measure food moving with the water as well as insects living on the streambed.
Where studied, methods and source
Regional comparison outside Colorado: one diversion during wet 2019, with 13 sampling events and limited fish-pool replication. The local measurement requested is prey delivery through the low-flow season.
Rhoades et al. (2025; online 2024). 2025; online 2024. Methods; Results; Discussion. Inspection: Full text.
Read the study · HWF:V3-ST11
