Riparian Restoration in New Mexico

wide and shallow Taylor Creek, September 1999, with noticeable the lack of riparian vegetation, coarse substrate, and lack of sinuosity

Taylor Creek in Catron County, like many creeks and riparian areas in New Mexico, had experienced damaged or stressed reaches. Floodwaters had scoured the creek leaving behind eroded banks, a coarse gravel or cobble substrate, and raised a landowner’s concerns that bank erosion would lead to the loss of a corral complex. But thanks to NRCS and

Taylor Creek, September 1999 upon the completion of the stream barbs -- sinuous stream flow and the flat-water behind the barbs

research conducted on several perennial creeks over the past seven years, landowners can now better restore and maintain healthy riparian areas that are important for streambank stability, wildlife and bird habitat, and water quality.

Benefiting from the low impact, low cost methods developed over the past few years, NRCS embarked on a treatment strategy of creating a series of rock structures or stream barbs extending into Taylor Creek to modify flow patterns and bed topography. Stream barbs are best used with restoration riparian vegetation plantings along stream banks that provide long-term

Taylor Creek, August 2004, -- recovering riparian vegetation growing through the newly deposited sediment

stabilization by dissipating flow energy and fostering sediment deposition. Often a scenic riparian area also increases the value of the landowner’s property.  During August 2004, two large floods impacted the restored area, however thanks to the stream barbs and restored riparian vegetation, there was no damage to either the bank or the channel. The vegetation remained intact and the site captured around eight inches of fine silty material.

Visit the NRCS New Mexico Web site.

With the technology developed over the past seven years, rock taken from the project site, and 3 days of work, New Mexico NRCS conservationists and work crews were successful in stabilizing Taylor Creek and helping  save a landowners corral complex.
Your contact is Steve Lacy, NRCS geomorphologist, at 505-761-4439, or steve.lacy@nm.usda.gov.