Post Wildfire Restoration Field Day

Additional Information

Saturday April 1, 2023 | 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Floodplain soils are the workhorse of watersheds. They store significant quantities of water, mitigating runoff and slowly delivering recharge to rivers and groundwater during drought. They filter pollutants, ash, and sediment, keeping them out of water ways. They provide a moist environment to support riparian and wetland plant communities. Floodplain soils are a critical component in ecosystems marked by wildfire and a changing climate—but in order for these potential benefits to come into effect, floodplains must be connected to the river or small drainages.

Join us in the Gallinas Canyon for a day of post wildfire flooding exploration and erosion control work. Our morning session will start with a tour of the Gallinas Village Floodplain Reconnection and River Restoration Project, spearheaded by the Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance. It demonstrates how restoration can be done to reconnect our waterways to their vital floodplains. We will then head downstream to Trout Springs Ranch where a light lunch will be served. Afterwards we will walk to a riparian area on Trout Springs Ranch where bridge access has been washed out due to post fire flooding and erosion. We will work together installing One Rock Dams in a large arroyo eroding into the watershed and compromising the integrity of the bridge. A New Mexican style supper will then be served in the early evening with an optional walk up to the Trout Springs, one of the most prolific natural springs and pristine riparian areas in northern New Mexico.

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