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Some Major Problems In Managing Watersheds Of The Border Region

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.

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Some Major Problems In Managing Watersheds Of The Border Region

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

  2. 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

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

  4. Problem # 1 Tree and Shrub Increase and Invasion in Uplands

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

  6. 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

  7. 1900

  8. 1960

  9. Erosion After Dominance Amount of Erosion Grassland Pinyon-Juniper Pinyon-JuniperDominated Invasion Established

  10. 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

  11. “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

  12. Problem # 2 Wildlife and Livestock Grazing Mismanagement

  13. Problem # 3 Riparian Area Mismanagement

  14. 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

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

  16. Problem # 5 Lack ofReclamation on Disturbed Land

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

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

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