Technical assistance with riparian ecosystem monitoring along the Middle Rio Grande

closed

The Middle Rio Grande and the adjacent riparian woodland habitat (“bosque”) provide valuable habitat for a rich assemblage of wildlife. Water management and maintenance activities affect riparian habitats and the animal species they support. In addition, drought, wildfires, invasive species, changing climate and hydrologic conditions, and proximity to urbanized areas impact riparian ecosystems. The USACE Albuquerque District (District)’s Civil Works mission includes aquatic ecosystem restoration, flood risk management, recreation, and environmental stewardship. The District aims to promote processes that restore natural ecosystem functions and thriving aquatic and riparian wildlife habitats. The Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program (MRGESCP) is a diverse partnership of federal, state, tribal and local signatory agencies and organizations whose mission is a collaborative and science-based approach to protect and improve the status of endangered species along the middle portion of the Rio Grande watershed of New Mexico, while simultaneously protecting existing and future regional water uses. To better understand changing conditions and the impacts of District and other agencies’ water and riparian habitat management, maintenance, and restoration activities, the District in cooperation with MRGESCP signatories has collected data for over ten years at research monitoring sites established within the Middle Rio Grande bosque. Data collected on abiotic factors includes groundwater level, water levels in adjacent ditches, precipitation, and air and soil temperatures. Biotic factors monitored include tree and shrub composition and productivity, and arthropod abundance and distribution. Data are made available to the public and efforts are made to engage citizen and student groups in monitoring activities to increase public understanding of the Rio Grande ecosystem while supporting essential research needs. Furthermore, these data have been analyzed to provide results useful to both the District and other signatories to the MRGESCP. Work under this program will support ongoing research, monitoring, management, and restoration activities by the USACE Albuquerque District within the Middle Rio Grande bosque and will continue to support collaboration with the MRGESCP. Objectives include: providing technical assistance; conducting monitoring and research related to riparian habitat conditions; and providing sound scientific data useful for water and riparian habitat management and protection. Specific tasks include: ·        Design monitoring programs in coordination with USACE personnel and collaborating agencies; ·        Conduct monthly monitoring of groundwater levels, ditch water levels, precipitation, and air and soil temperatures; ·        Conduct arthropod and leaf litter monitoring; ·        Conduct tamarisk leaf beetle monitoring; ·        Conduct vegetation monitoring; ·        Manage and analyze monitoring data; ·        Collect and manage geographic data for mapping purposes; ·        Collaborate with other federal agencies, state agencies, tribes, local government, nonprofit organizations, and the scientific community on Middle Rio Grande conservation and management issues; ·        Submit an annual report that details long-term trends and short-term patterns in monitored variables and highlight results important to the District’s and the MRGESCP’s Mission and Objectives; ·        Submit monthly updates to USACE; ·        Attend quarterly review meetings; and ·        Submit copies of all data to USACE