With visions of Yogi Bear and Boo-boo dancing in your head…
Hey Boo-Boo, lets go steal some pic-a-nic baskets (The Yogi Bear Show 1961)
Image 1. Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo absconding with a pic-a-nic basket (image from sportsgrid.com)
To many people, Yellowstone National Park, is a vast open landscape.
Of undisturbed forests, meadows, and mountain peaks. And large herds of buffalo grazing lazily across an immense landscape.
Or wild and free-roaming grizzly bears lumbering for their next meal. And picturesque geysers spouting water tens of feet high in to deep-blue skies.
Of large cascading waterfalls with their mystical spray creating glorious rainbows. Or mud pots and fumaroles bubbling and gurgling like a witches brew.
While certainly iconic in its own right, what most people don’t realize though is the Park is only a small part of a much, much larger landscape. This vast landscape is called the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem…
Yellowstone National Park forms the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. At 34,375 square miles (89,031 km2), it is one of the largest nearly intact temperate-zone ecosystems on Earth (USDI NPS 2017).
Image 2. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem consists of national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges, other public lands (BLM and State), and privately-owned lands. These properties are spread across three states – Wyoming (mostly), Idaho and Montana (from GYCC).
Water Towers of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem…
Most people, in my experience living and working most of my adult live in the Greater Yellowstone, give little thought to the importance of water across this vast and wild landscape.
Yes, Yellowstone National Park is iconic.
Indeed, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is iconic.
But what should be recognized as even more iconic are the water towers of the park and surrounding ecosystem.
The water that flows through Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is a vital national resource. The headwaters of seven great rivers are located in the GYE, and flow from the Continental Divide through communities across the nation on their way to the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of California, and the Gulf of Mexico. Precipitation (rain and snow) in the mountains and plateaus of the Northern Rockies flows through stream and river networks to provide essential moisture to much of the American West; and water resources provide recreational opportunities, plant and wildlife habitat, and scenic vistas (USDI NPS 2017).
Need for a paradigm shift…
So if and when you visit the Yellowstone ecosystem, whether it’s your first trip or your hundredth, swap your stereotypical view of what to expect to see or what you’ve seen previously for a new view.
A new paradigm. One consisting of a better and more informed recognition of water across this vast landscape. A better appreciation for the vital role that water plays in maintenance of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. And the myriad of ecosystem services these water towers provide.
To get you started on your paradigm shift, take a few moments from your busy day and sit back with a beverage of your choice (I prefer one of my homebrews) and watch this wonderful new video recently released by the National Park Service.
Until the next time…
Cheers from wonderful Wyoming!