New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

THE NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE USES A COMMUNITY SCIENCE APPROACH TO COLLECT DATA TO ASSESS WATER QUALITY AND ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCY IN THE RIO CHAMA RIVER IN NEW MEXICO WHICH WILL IMPROVE IN-STREAM HABITAT. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THE AREA BELOW RECLAMATION S EL VADO DAM, WITHIN THE RIO CHAMA WILD AND SCENIC RIVER AREA. THE ALLIANCE WILL ESTABLISH BASELINE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS FOR THIS REACH OF THE CHAMA IN DURING A SAFETY OF DAMS CORRECTIVE ACTION AT EL VADO DAM. DURING THE CORRECTIVE ACTION, WHILE STORAGE IS REDUCED AND HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION IS TEMPORARILY HALTED, THE GROUP WILL MONITOR CHANGES TO WATER QUALITY TO COMPARE THE TWO SETS OF DATA. THE RESULTS FROM THIS ANALYSIS CAN BE USED TO INFORM HOW MANAGEMENT OF FUTURE FLOW RELEASES COULD IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND IMPROVE IN-STREAM HABITAT.

EMPLOYING ESTABLISHING BASELINE WATER QUALITY CONDITIONS IN THE WILD AND SCENIC REACH OF THE RIO CHAMA

THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO DEVELOP A SCIENTIFICALLY DEFENSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW FRAMEWORK FOR 6 REACHES OF THE MAINSTEM RIO GRANDE AND RIO CHAMA THROUGH NEW MEXICO TO ELEPHANT BUTTE RESERVOIR BY LEVERAGING RESOURCES AND THE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPED THROUGH THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION RIO GRANDE BASIN STUDY. THIS REACH-SCALE FLOW QUANTIFICATION PROCESS LARGELY FOCUSES ON AQUATIC AND AQUATIC-DEPENDENT THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES (T E). NEW MEXICO WILDERNESS ALLIANCE CO-LEADS, WITH AUDUBON SOUTHWEST, THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION (NGO) SECTORAL COMMITTEE OF THE BASIN STUDY, BRINGING TOGETHER AROUND 15 NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NGOS. AS PART OF THE BASIN STUDY TASKS, THE SECTORAL COMMITTEE IS IDENTIFYING AND DEVELOPING COMMUNITY VALUES RELATED TO ECOLOGICAL HEALTH AND RECREATION ENVIRONMENTAL WATER NEEDS SIGNPOSTS AND THRESHOLDS TO HELP DETERMINE WHEN CHANGES ARE OCCURRING OR HAVE OCCURRED IN THE SYSTEM AND IDENTIFYING INDICATOR SPECIES. THIS PROPOSAL INTENDS TO BUILD OFF THE BASIN STUDYS WORK BY FURTHER DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW HYPOTHESES, VETTING THESE HYPOTHESES THROUGH A PEER-REVIEW WORKSHOP THAT INCLUDES NATIONAL AND REGIONAL EXPERTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS AND NEW MEXICO WATERWAYS, AND COMPLETING A SYNTHESIS REPORT THAT PROVIDES JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RECOMMENDED FLOW TARGETS THROUGH DISCUSSION OF EXISTING LITERATURE AND DATA, INCLUDING ANNOTATED REFERENCES.THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO FURTHER MULTIPLE DOI PRIORITIES, INCLUDING MAKING INVESTMENTS TO SUPPORT THE ADMINISTRATIONS GOAL OF CREATING MILLIONS OF FAMILY-SUPPORTING AND UNION JOBS, WORKING TO CONSERVE AT LEAST 30 EACH OF OUR LANDS AND WATERS BY THE YEAR 2030, AND CENTERING EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE . A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW NEEDS IN THESE REACHES WILL HELP TO IDENTIFY WHERE INVESTMENTS SHOULD BE MADE TO BETTER PROTECT BIODIVERSITY, IMPROVE ACCESS TO RECREATION, AND ADDRESS THE CHANGING CLIMATE, AS IDENTIFIED IN DOIS TOP 5 LISTED PRIORITIES. IT CAN ALSO POTENTIALLY AID DOI TO LEVERAGE NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS AND GIVE COMMUNITIES NEEDED INFORMATION TO BETTER PROTECT THEIR VALUES AND HEALTH OF THEIR WATERSHEDS. BOTH SCIENTIFICALLY JUSTIFIABLE ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW NUMBERS AND THE REPORT SYNTHESIZING EXISTING INFORMATION WILL FILL NEEDED DATA GAPS THAT CAN HELP INFORM FUTURE RMPS AND OTHER MANAGEMENT ACTIONS. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT ARE A) A REPORT THAT SYNTHESIZES ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW NEEDS, INCLUDING THE NEEDS OF IDENTIFIED INDICATOR SPECIES (I.E. SOUTHWEST WILLOW FLYCATCHER AND RIO GRANDE SILVERY MINNOW) AND B) FLOW TARGETS ASSOCIATED WITH INSTREAM FLOW NEEDS TO BENEFIT HEALTHY RIVERS, HABITAT, AND SUPPORT IMPERILED AND NATIVE SPECIES. THESE PRODUCTS WILL PROVIDE A LONG-NEEDED ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW FRAMEWORK FOR THE RIO GRANDE IN NEW MEXICO WHICH WILL ASSIST WITH MANAGEMENT DECISIONS AND TRADE-OFFS, AS WELL AS SHAPE FUTURE POLICY INITIATIVES AND PRIORITIES AND GUIDE FUTURE INVESTMENTS OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: L23AS00153FUNDING OPPORTUNITY GOALS TEXT: PROVIDE RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION CITIZEN SCIENCE PROTOCOL TO BLM FOR INPUT. COMPILE DIGITAL FILE OF HISTORIC WSA DOCUMENTATION, GIS DATA LAYER OF ROAD INCURSIONS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS FROM AERIAL IMAGERY, MAP AND SHAPEFILE OF 2023 SURVEY RESEARCH AREAS. CONDUCT FIELD VISITS SURVEYS TO TARGETED WILDERNESSES AND WSAS. CONDUCT MEETING WITH BLM STAFF AND LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS RESULTS, EVALUATE MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND PLAN STEWARDSHIP PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION. PROVIDE BLM WITH ANNUAL REPORT, INCLUDING RESULTS FROM 2023 FIELD SEASON, .DOC FORMAT AND SHAPEFILE. YEARS 2-5 (IF PROJECT IS FUNDED AT FULL REQUEST) COMPILE A MAP AND SHAPEFILE OF ANNUAL SURVEY AREA CONDUCT ANNUAL MEETING WITH BLM STAFF AND LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS RESULTS, EVALUATE MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND PLAN STEWARDSHIP PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROVIDE BLM WITH ANNUAL REPORT, INCLUDING RESULTS FROM ANNUAL FIELD SEASON, .DOC FORMAT AND SHAPEFILE.

NM WILDERNESS CHARACTER MONITORING AND SIGNAGE TAOS FO