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Restoration Analysis and Recommendations for the Isleta Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, NM

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Restoration Analysis and Recommendations for the Isleta Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, NM Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program Restoration Analysis and Recommendations for the Isleta Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, NM July 2008 Riada Engineering Tetra Tech William J. Miller Engineers Wolf Engineering Restoration Analysis and Recommendations for the Isleta Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, NM Prepared for Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program c/o Bureau of Reclamation 555 Broadway NE, Suite 100 Albuquerque, NM 87102-2352 Prepared by Parametrix 6739 Academy Road NE, Suite 350 Albuquerque, NM 87109-3353 T. 505.323.0050 F. 505.796.0885 www.parametrix.com July 2008 573-1590-005 (01) – Contract No. 06CR408146 Citation Parametrix. 2008. Restoration Analysis and Recommendations for the Isleta Reach of the Middle Rio Grande, NM. Prepared for the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program, USBR Contract No. 06CR408146. Prepared by Parametrix, Albuquerque, New Mexico. July 2008. List of Preparers NAME CONTRIBUTION AFFILIATION Todd Caplan Principal Investigator, Project Manager, Riparian Parametrix, Albuquerque, NM Ecology Chas Jones Hydrology Technical Support, GIS Data Parametrix, Albuquerque, NM Management, FLO-2D Analysis Chad McKenna GIS Data Management, Vegetation Mapping Parametrix, Albuquerque, NM Linda Edwards Report Layout Formatting Parametrix, Albuquerque, NM Jimmy O’Brien Co-Principal Investigator, Hydrology, Riada Engineering, Nutrioso, AZ River Mechanics, Sediment Transport, Geomorphology, FLO-2D Modeling Mike Marcus Co-Principal Investigator, Tetra Tech, Albuquerque, NM Silvery Minnow and Flycatcher Biology and Habitat Ecology Doug Wolf GIS and Civil Engineering Support Wolf Engineering, Albuquerque, NM William Miller Net Depletions Analysis, Water Policy William J. Miller Engineers, Santa Fe, NM 573-1590-005 (01) – Contract No. 06CR408146 July 2008 (This page intentionally left blank.) 573-1590-005 (01) – Contract No. 06CR408146 July 2008 (This page intentionally left blank.) Table of Contents ACRONYMS AND KEY TERMS .......................................................................................................................... XI CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1-1 1 What is the goal of this report and what are its primary objectives?................................................................1-1 2 What is the focus of the Program? ..................................................................................................................1-3 3 What are the goals of the Program? ...............................................................................................................1-4 4 How does the ESA apply to the Middle Rio Grande?......................................................................................1-6 5 How does the BiOp relate to habitat restoration activities along the Middle Rio Grande?...............................1-6 6 What organizations and individuals participated in this project? .....................................................................1-8 7 How can Program participants access the GIS database developed for this report?......................................1-9 CHAPTER 2 REACH DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................2-1 Project Location, Landownership, and Infrastructure ..................................................................................................2-1 1 Where is the Isleta Reach? .............................................................................................................................2-1 2 Who are the primary landowners in the project reach? ...................................................................................2-1 3 What are the surrounding land uses? .............................................................................................................2-2 4 What is the primary water use infrastructure in the Isleta Reach? ..................................................................2-3 Climate and Geology...................................................................................................................................................2-6 5 What is the climate in the project area? ..........................................................................................................2-6 6 What are the geological influences on the river in the project reach? .............................................................2-6 River Geomorphology .................................................................................................................................................2-8 7 What are the geomorphic conditions of the project reach and how have these conditions changed in recent years? ..................................................................................................................................................2-8 River Geomorphology .....................................................................................................................................2-8 Channel Narrowing and Bed Degradation.......................................................................................................2-9 Sediment Load and Mobile Bed Characteristics ...........................................................................................2-13 Current Geomorphic Trends .........................................................................................................................2-15 Surface Water Hydrology ..........................................................................................................................................2-15 8 What were the predevelopment hydrologic patterns of the Middle Rio Grande?...........................................2-15 573-1590-005 (01) – Contract No. 06CR408146 July 2008 ii Table of Contents 9 What is the present-day hydrology of the Isleta Project Reach?...................................................................2-17 River-Floodplain Hydrologic Connectivity......................................................................................................2-20 Channel Drying .............................................................................................................................................2-21 River Conveyance Losses ............................................................................................................................2-27 Groundwater Hydrology ............................................................................................................................................2-28 10 What data is available on riparian groundwater in the project reach? ...........................................................2-28 Floodplain Soils.........................................................................................................................................................2-31 11 What are the general characteristics of the Middle Rio Grande floodplain soils?..........................................2-31 12 What data are available regarding soils and floodplain alluvial deposits in the project reach? .....................2-32 NRCS Soil Surveys .......................................................................................................................................2-32 Surficial Geology Maps .................................................................................................................................2-32 Floodplain Vegetation ...............................................................................................................................................2-34 13 What was the historic condition of riparian vegetation in the MRG Valley?...................................................2-34 14 Over the past several years, the “Hink and Ohmart” vegetation classification system has been commonly used by management agencies for describing floodplain vegetation along the MRG. What is the background of this tool and how does it work? ....................................................................................2-35 15 What are the primary differences between the 1984 and 2002 mapping methods?......................................2-36 16 Has the 2002 vegetation mapping been updated since it was originally developed?....................................2-38 17 How was the floodplain vegetation mapping managed for this report? .........................................................2-38 18 What is the acreage and spatial distribution of the different vegetation categories in the project reach? ...........................................................................................................................................................2-45 19 What are the dominant plant species and structure types currently in the project reach?.............................2-46 20 How has vegetation structure and species composition changed since the 1984 mapping? ........................2-48 CHAPTER 3 SPECIES BIOLOGY AND HABITAT ECOLOGY.................................................................................3-1 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow.........................................................................................................................................3-1 1 What is the present status and distribution of the silvery minnow? .................................................................3-1
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