Conservation Week: Wild Turkeys and Water

Through wild turkey habitat enhancement projects in forests, grasslands and riparian areas (areas near water), the NWTF is able to impact nearby water resources, which can help improve water availability where there are shortages and improve quality where water may contain excess sediment or contaminants.

“I think the NWTF has long recognized the strong connection between healthy forests, healthy watersheds and clean, reliable water supplies downstream,” said Travis Smith, NWTF Western water specialist. “I think it's always been recognized, but especially in the last few years, the water connection, whether it's in the West about water shortage and water quantity, or in the East, certainly water quality issues are very important and deeply connected to the work that the NWTF has embraced.”

There are regional water-related challenges across the country. In the West, where catastrophic wildfires are destroying vital wildlife habitat and threatening those who live nearby, the impact on water resources is just as bad. For instance, when catastrophic wildfire rampages through an area, it kills or even removes the vegetative structures that keep soil in place. This then increases the chances of soil erosion and nutrient overloads into waterways because the systems that once naturally regulated that are now decimated.

The NWTF is working on a landscape scale across the West to prevent the severity of these catastrophic wildfires, which ensures the health of nearby water resources. For instance, in Utah, the NWTF has long been a staunch supporter of the Watershed Restoration Initiative, and this year, the NWTF helped fund 26 new projects for 2025 that both enhance habitat for wild turkeys and help conserve water resources in the Beehive State.

Similarly, the NWTF has strategic partnerships across the West that are not only improving habitat for wild turkeys and benefiting the health and vigor of overall ecosystem health, but these partnerships are also working to conserve a vital resource that unites us all.

In the Coconino National Forest, for instance, the NWTF is working with a wide variety of partners for the General Springs Project, which is conserving and enhancing 3,500 acres and is also providing protection for the East Clear Creek Watershed and water pipeline, which supplies the town of Payson, Arizona, with drinking water. The water and hydroelectric infrastructure within the project site is valued at over $300 million.

Through thousands of acres of restoration projects, the NWTF and the USDA Forest Service are likewise working across the West through the Wildfire Crisis Strategy to mitigate the effects catastrophic wildfire has on America’s water resources.

But it is not just the West that is facing challenges conserving the element that unites us all.

In the Great Plains and in the East, land use practices are changing — concrete and asphalt are continually offsetting floodplains, decades of traditional agricultural practices near rivers and lakes have increased sediment downstream, and increased water consumption has strained water availability in areas, among other challenges. Just as the NWTF is improving wildlife habitat while improving watershed health in the West, similar work is occurring in the Great Plains through the organization’s Waterways for Wildlife Initiative.

“Our Waterways for Wildlife initiative was designed with our Four Shared Values in mind: forests and wildlife habitat, community resilience, water and recreational opportunities,” said Annie Farrell, NWTF district biologist for Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. “By focusing on these areas, we can ensure that water remains a sustainable resource, not only for wild turkeys, but for those who rely on clean water, whether for drinking, irrigation or recreation.”

While habitat enhancement is the initial focus, the impact of NWTF’s work goes far beyond wildlife habitat, providing tangible benefits to people and communities. In states like New York and Minnesota, where water availability is not a significant issue, the focus shifts toward improving water quality. Millions of people rely on clean drinking water from rivers and lakes, and conservation efforts that reduce pollution upstream can save communities millions of dollars in water treatment costs.

“Being able to do any type of conservation work — whether it be riparian buffers or tree planting — has a direct benefit to that water quality,” said Clayton Lenk, NWTF district biologist for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. “So, the ability for us to do this work in the name of the wild turkey is simultaneously improving water quality projects for fish and wildlife species, municipalities, irrigation districts, whatever it might be. So, it's a win-win because it's a win for wildlife and a win for the other users of that water resource.”

As the NWTF continues to expand its conservation work, water has emerged as a central theme that touches all aspects of its mission. Whether through the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative, Waterways for Wildlife or partnerships like the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, the NWTF recognizes that water quality and availability are inseparable from the overall health of ecosystems and the wildlife they support.

“We hear the term often that if it’s good for the wild turkey, it’s good for other wildlife, and it’s good for humans too,” Smith said.

Smith also stated that whether you are a sportsman, agriculturalist, urban dweller or rural resident, water is the common denominator.

“The huge challenge now is water quality, but NWTF’s focus on conservation work, whether it’s site-specific or looking upstream, is showing us how connected we are,” he said.

Water is a shared resource that impacts us all, and it is vital for each of us to take part in safeguarding it. No matter your background or expertise, there is a way to make a meaningful difference, and collective action is key to ensuring the future of natural resources like water for generations to come.  

“We all have a part in this story, whether we hunt turkeys or not or whether we own land or not — we are all part of the water story,” said Jared McJunkin, NWTF director of conservation operations for the central region. “I would just encourage people, as we celebrate Conservation Week, to find out where you fit in conservation. No matter what your interest is, there is a place for you in this story, and you can help be part of the solution.”