Project Activity: Riparian Zone Restoration Scott Compton, Watershed Program Manager Valles Caldera National Preserve

Over-arching goal identified in the CFLRP proposal is to improve the resilience of ecosystems to recover from wildfires and other natural disturbance events in order to sustain healthy forests and watersheds for future generations. VCNP Stewardship plan as outlined in the in the Landscape Restoration and Stewardship Plan FEIS is, in part, to: Move the structure, composition and function of the preserve’s natural system towards the reference condition. Improve the characteristics of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat. Improve water quality and watershed function. Repair and rehabilitate areas adversely affected by historic infrastructure, wildfire and post-fire flooding and erosion.

Lower stream temperatures (impaired by state standards) Decrease turbidity levels (impaired by state standards) Re-establish slope wetlands (drained by past land management actions) Re-stablish multi-channel stream corridors as evidenced by past aerial photos Raise the stream beds of incised channels and get high water back out onto the floodplain Increase (or maintain) sinuosity of channels where appropriate Decrease stream channel width-to-depth ratios Improve/re-establish riparian area vegetation Improve wildlife habitat

A number of inventories, assessments and reports have been done on the condition of the stream corridor Issues identified are: bank slumping with increased channel width vertical cut banks on bends channel pattern changes loss of access to floodplain/incised channels temperatures higher than optimal for trout excessive sedimentation erosion from run-off in fire scarred areas loss of slope wetland areas

bank restructuring channel grade control structures (Zuni bowls, one-rock- dams, rock weirs) spreading water for wetland re-creation meandering channel cut-off prevention replace/install road drainage structures (porous fill road crossings, culverts, bridges, rolling dips, low water crossings) Grazing not allowed in many riparian areas planting vegetation fencing to protect newly planted vegetation

To Be Continued Come back tomorrow to hear about what is planned for the next couple of years!