The Albuquerque Reach Habitat Analysis and Recommendations Study, Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program
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THE ALBUQUERQUE REACH HABITAT ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS STUDY, MIDDLE RIO GRANDE ENDANGERED SPECIES COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM Prepared for: U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS — ALBUQUERQUE DISTRICT 4101 Jefferson Plaza NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 Delivery Order No.: W912PP-08-F-0027 Submitted by: SWCA ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 5647 Jefferson Street NE Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109 Telephone: (505) 254-1115; Fax: (505) 254-1116 www.swca.com SWCA Project No.: 14637 April 2010 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... ii 3 LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ iii 4 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1 5 1.1 Report Goals and Objectives .............................................................................. 1 6 1.2 The Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program ...................... 2 7 1.3 2003 Biological Opinion ................................................................................... 3 8 2.0 REACH DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 5 9 2.1 Project Location, Land Ownership, and Infrastructure ............................................ 5 10 2.2 Environmental History ...................................................................................... 10 11 2.3 Current Environmental Conditions .................................................................... 14 12 2.4 Flora .............................................................................................................. 27 13 2.5 Floodplain Flora ............................................................................................. 27 14 2.6 Fauna ............................................................................................................ 35 15 3.0 SPECIES BIOLOGY AND HABITAT ECOLOGY.................................................... 43 16 3.1 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow .............................................................................. 43 17 3.2 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ........................................................................ 50 18 4.0 RESTORATION ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES ................................................... 69 19 4.1 Defining a Restoration Approach ...................................................................... 69 20 4.2 Hydrologic and Hydraulic Conditions ................................................................ 70 21 4.3 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Habitat ................................................................... 80 22 4.4 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Habitat ............................................................. 95 23 4.5 Issues and Opportunities for Using Managed Flows .......................................... 102 24 4.6 Existing and Planned Habitat Restoration Projects ............................................. 104 25 5.0 HABITAT RESTORATION RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................. 111 26 5.1 Restoration Goals.......................................................................................... 111 27 5.2 Habitat Restoration Model .............................................................................. 113 28 5.3 Restoration and Management Strategies .......................................................... 123 29 5.4 Conceptual Restoration Projects ...................................................................... 132 30 5.5 Future Trends Analysis ................................................................................... 135 31 5.6 Net Depletions Analysis of Proposed Projects ................................................... 186 32 5.7 Sediment Management .................................................................................. 186 33 6.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA AND MONITORING ................................................... 189 34 6.1 General Overview ......................................................................................... 189 35 6.2 Silvery Minnow Evaluation Criteria .................................................................. 197 36 6.3 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher Evaluation Criteria ........................................... 209 37 6.4 Habitat Restoration Monitoring ....................................................................... 213 38 7.0 DATA GAP ANALYSIS .................................................................................... 229 39 7.1 General Restoration ...................................................................................... 229 40 7.2 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow ............................................................................ 232 ii Contents 1 7.3 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher ...................................................................... 239 2 7.4 Hydrology, Hydraulics, and Geomorphology ................................................... 241 3 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 245 4 5 LIST OF FIGURES 6 2.1. Middle Rio Grande Basin map. ...................................................................................... 6 7 2.2. Overview of the Albuquerque Reach. .............................................................................. 7 8 2.3. Annual average daily discharge at USGS Albuquerque gage 08330000, 1974–2009. ...... 11 9 2.4. This island near Paseo del Norte possesses young vegetation in the foreground, 10 indicating recent disturbance, and more permanent vegetation in the background. ............ 12 11 2.5. Annual temperature and precipitation averages in Albuquerque. ...................................... 15 12 2.6. Annual precipitation averages in Albuquerque. .............................................................. 16 13 2.7. Monthly average annual flows recorded from the USGS Albuquerque gage, 1974–2009. .. 21 14 2.8. Representative spring runoff hydrographs for the Rio Grande at Albuquerque versus mean 15 daily flow, 2005–2007). .............................................................................................. 22 16 2.9. Estimated groundwater elevation. ................................................................................. 23 17 2.10. Bear Canyon Arroyo recharge pilot project. ................................................................... 24 18 2.11. Hink and Ohmart structural classification. ..................................................................... 30 19 2.12. Cottonwood/Russian olive, Hink and Ohmart structural type I classification, Albuquerque 20 Reach bosque. ........................................................................................................... 31 21 2.13. Inundated river bar and vegetation growth in the Albuquerque Reach. ............................. 32 22 2.14. Coyote willow and saltcedar on the interior section of an Albuquerque Reach point bar. ..... 34 23 2.15. Russian olive in the Albuquerque Reach colonizing channel margin with cottonwood 24 behind. .................................................................................................................... 35 25 3.1. Rio Grande silvery minnow. ......................................................................................... 43 26 3.2. Southwestern Willow Flycatcher .................................................................................... 50 27 3.3. Breeding range distribution of the subspecies of the willow flycatcher. ............................... 51 28 3.4. Vertical foliage density and standard error at flycatcher nest versus non-use sites at 29 Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, 2007...................................................... 60 30 3.5. Vertical foliage density and standard error at flycatcher nest vs. non-use sites at Mesquite, 31 Nevada, 2007. .......................................................................................................... 61 32 3.6. Vertical foliage density and standard error at flycatcher nest vs. non-use sites at Mormon 33 Mesa, Nevada, 2007. ................................................................................................. 61 34 3.7. Vertical foliage density and standard error at flycatcher nest vs. non-use sites at Topock 35 Marsh, Arizona, 2007. ................................................................................................ 62 36 3.8. Vertical foliage density and standard error at flycatcher nest vs. non-use sites at Muddy 37 River, Nevada, 2007................................................................................................... 62 38 3.9. Photograph from Moore showing typical MRG riparian woodland habitat with three 39 different canopy height layers. ...................................................................................... 64 40 3.10. Photograph from Moore showing typical southern MRG flycatcher habitat lacking an 41 upper canopy layer. .................................................................................................... 64 42 4.1. Flow chart depicting the Albuquerque Reach problem statement. ..................................... 70 43 4.2. Flow duration curve for pre- and post-Cochiti Dam – USGS gage 08330000, Rio 44 Grande at Albuquerque. ............................................................................................. 72 45 4.3. 7-day and 25-day