Some Major Problems In Managing Watersheds Of The Border Region Dr. M. Karl Wood, Director Water Resources Research Institute New Mexico State University

The Border Region only has four major water problems! 1. The water is in the wrong places 2. The water is present at the wrong times 3. The water has the wrong quantities Floods Droughts 4. The water is the wrong quality

These problems are mostly the result of natural conditions in the continent These problems can be mitigated or made worse by human activities

Problem # 1 Tree and Shrub Increase and Invasion in Uplands

Landscapes Containing Pinyon Pines and Junipers Low lands Steep Hillsides Mesa Tops Physiographic Positions

Pinyon pine and Juniper Climax on steep, rocky hillsides Invade lowlands & mesa tops by gravity, water, wind animals, etc Controlled by fire in invaded areas until fire became scarce Compete with grass-forb-shrub understory which results in extremely high erosion rates

1900

1960

Erosion After Dominance Grassland Pinyon-Juniper Pinyon-Juniper Dominated Invasion Established Amount of Erosion

Kinds of Mismanagement! Cessation of wildfire by fire suppression Limiting use of shrub and tree control tools such as: a. Fuelwood harvest b. Mechanical removal c. Herbicide applications

“If the prime objective is wood products, we may continue to overgraze, letting in the woodland and sacrificing watershed values If on the other hand the prime objective is watersheds, we should restore the grass, which all the evidence indicates is a better watershed cover than either brush or woodland” Aldo Leopold

Problem # 2 Wildlife and Livestock Grazing Mismanagement

Problem # 3 Riparian Area Mismanagement

Riparian Areas: tremendous importance New Mexico receives 85 million acre-ft of precipitation each year 3 million acre-ft lost through evapotranspiration Half of water loss by evapotranspiration in some states is from riparian areas Enriched plant & animal life Most difficult ecosystem to research

Problem # 4 Lost Water Harvesting Opportunities Why? Establish Seed Banks

Problem # 5 Lack of Reclamation on Disturbed Land

Problem Areas: Exploration - hard rock - oil & gas Mined areas Roaded areas Recreation areas (ORV)

Problem # 6 Inadequate Methods for Erosion and Runoff Inventory and Prediction

Land Management Practice Animal Trampling and Burrowing Plant and Rock Cover Plant Volume Soil Surface Roughness Soil Surface Configuration Soil Moisture Evaporative Loss Soil Organic Matter Content Soil Particle Sizes Soil Structure Soil Bulk Density and Porosity Runoff and Infiltration