Treesearch

Storm water or overland flow can be captured and injected into a soil trench or infiltration gallery attached to a siphon and emplaced adjacent to a stream or arroyo bank. This injected soil water can be used by stream side vegetation for wildlife habitat, bank stabilization or other purposes. The siphon system has three hydrologically-distinct flow regimes: (1) infiltrating flow, (2) cycling outflow, and (3) constant outflow. These flow regimes are dependent upon infiltration gallery design, soil hydraulic conductivity, and rainfall intensity. The design is low-cost and is predicted to be...

This on-going study will provide data on changes in vegetation in the Middle Rio Grande since 1984.

The Rio Grande River's biologically troubled status is clearly linked to present and historic water management. To restore the river to pre-settlement conditions will take a "tool kit" that holds authorities, knowledge, and skills needed to correct historical neglect and abuse. Tools include awareness, planning, partnerships, engineering solutions, and a cross-section of public and private individuals.

Many of the livestock grazing permittees on the Carson and Santa Fe National Forests in northern New Mexico are descendants of Hispanic settlers who have farmed and ranched in the region for 400 years. Much of the permitted land was formerly owned or used by local communities under Spanish and Mexican land grants. Cultural differences and historical issues of landownership and use contribute to disagreements between permittees and federal land managers. This study will examine current economic, social, and cultural aspects of livestock ownership by these permittees to help agency managers...

The Southwest Strategy is an effort by federal agencies to work with each other, the public, and tribal, state, and local agencies to maintain and restore the cultural, economic, and environmental quality of life in Arizona and New Mexico. This update explains the strategy and its progress to date.

In June 1994, one hundred people gathered for the first Uniting the Basin Conference in El Paso to discuss the state of their basin and to explore ways to improve its sustainability for future generations. One of the recommendations of that conference was the formation of an international non-governmental coalition of groups throughout the Basin to share information and ideas and facilitate local efforts to improve the river and the quality of life along it for all members of the ecosystem. In 1995, a steering committee met to begin to make that recommendation a reality. The non-profit...

There continues to be a great deal of interest and discussion surrounding the demands of water management and allocation and the relationship to ecological integrity of the Rio Grande riparian ecosystem. Current river management too often fails to consider the importance of natural variability of flows. What is consistently overlooked is the relationship of a stream course to its forming watershed. The standard practice of managing for one or more of a few important or imperiled species by defining how little water can be left in the river is not adequate based upon new scientific understan...

Spring floodplain inundation is important to the natural functions of the Rio Grande bosque biological community including cottonwood tree germination and recruitment. To predict floodplain inundation, a two-dimensional flood routing model FLO-2D will be applied to various reaches of the Rio Grande. FLO-2D will assess overbank flooding in terms of the area of inundation, floodplain hydraulics and river discharge timing, frequency and duration. Floodwave attenuation is important in predicting floodplain inundation. Initial FLO-2D applications will be made to the Isleta reach (15 miles)...

The Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model (URGWOM) under development through a multi-agency effort has demonstrated capability to represent the physical river/reservoir system, to track and account for Rio Grande flows and imported San Juan flows, and to forecast flows at various points in the system. Testing of the Rio Chama portion of the water operations model was completed in March 1998. Results indicate that RiverWare software can be used to model the entire upper Rio Grande system. Model development is in progress on the mainstem of the Rio Grande.

This paper discusses management options for salinity control in the Rio Grande Bosque. First, salt sources are identified and quantified. Capillary rise of ground water is the most important cause for soil salinization in the bosque. Next, a riparian salt balance is presented to explain the different mechanisms for soil salinization. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of three salinity control options are discussed: drainage systems, adaption to natural conditions, and managed flooding.