US Fish & Wildlife Service, AZ

Harris Environmental managed a stream restoration project in Guadalupe Canyon, a remote, intermittent stream in southeastern, Arizona, and southwestern, New Mexico. Recent fires, past human disturbance (e.g., levees, road crossing), and the canyon slope had increased impacts during runoff events resulting in large channel incisions. Infrequent floodplain inundation also had reduced natural recruitment of riparian vegetation. We designed and installed treatments which included boulder weirs, log structures, and channel re-alignment to increase both sediment deposition and water retention. Treatments lifted the channel bed within incised reaches allowing runoff to rewet the floodplain and promote native vegetation growth. Headcuts and road-crossings also were stabilized using earthworks to prevent further erosion. All treatment sites as well as staging areas were re-seeded and raked with native grasses and debris and rocks were distributed to increase roughness and promote water retention. The project was a collaborative effort between the private landowner whose property contained Guadalupe Canyon, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Harris Environmental worked with the private landowner and two federal agencies to complete the project, and were sensitive to the private landowners needs.