Most of western North America has been severely grazed by cattle, causing grasslands to deteriorate and desert scrub expansion. Climate in arid and semi-arid regions is often typified by short, intense rainfall events which contribute to short-term flooding and erosion. Associated arroyo cutting occurs when ephemeral creek beds are carved into the floodplain when erratic overland flow occurs; this lowers water tables, depleting surface and subsurface water supplies. When surface runoff is high, little recharge infiltrates to the basin aquifer, and high-intensity flow transports heavy sediment loads to channels, contributing to nonpoint source pollution in surface water bodies.
People living in arid land environments all over the globe have developed ways to manipulate the earth’s surface to benefit and sustain agricultural practices via water harvesting. Archaeologists have discovered such features dating back to Before the Common Era and in the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion (Sky Islands) built over a thousand years ago.
Federal agencies, including the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Parks Service, and Bureau of Land Management, are major land managers in this region, concerned with developing sustainable water supplies and vegetation for future generations and engage in best management practices. Additionally, private ranch owners have identified an immediate need for the adoption of proper conservation strategies in this area to control the eutrophication in downstream water supplies and to prevent further watershed degradation.
One solution is to install rock detention structures, such as (i.) a one rock dam (one-rock high) bed of rocks (en espanol: trinchera) can be in channels or hillslopes, (ii.) a check dam (gully plug), usually ~3 foot high loose rock structure set into channel, and/or (iii.) a rock gabion, which consists of rocks rapped in wire cage and keyed into channel (see Drawings)
An effort to develop soil and water conservation measures in local riparian zones has recently been revived in both private and public lands in this region using rock detention structures to restore landscapes and create resiliency to change. Specific ally, structures are built to detain rainwater-runoff to (i.) increase infiltration and improve recharge, (ii.) increase surface water for plants and animals, and (iii.) reduce erosion, stabilize soil and prevent downstream transport. These goals have been identified colloquially, but not qualified nor quantified scientifically. We have broken these expected results into a list of Ecosystem Services.
Broad Science Questions
As such, we have developed a series of scientific questions to address their impacts both qualitatively and quantitatively, and the list keeps growing.
Project Objectives
I. Determine metrics to discern effectiveness of rock detention structures (quantifiable results).
II. Work with partners to determine where new structures should be…..
1. For flood prevention?
2. For vegetation and habitat?
3. To “heal” the land?
4. For groundwater recharge?
5. To reduce erosion and nonpoint source pollution (sedimentation in streams)?
6. To increase surface water?
7. To armor landscapes?
Scientific methodology
Our research is based on the hydrologic cycle that describes water as either: a) evaporated or transpired to the atmosphere; b) stored in the soil or in underground aquifers; or c) discharged to a nearby waterway (Fig. 3).
- Terrestrial monitoring documents the hydrological impacts of water harvesting devices and helps identify sites for future installation in Patagonia.
- Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery and the derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values are being used to monitor changes in vegetation greenness at a desert wetland in San Bernardino.
- Hydrological geospatial models, including the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Kinematic Runoff and Erosion Model (KINEROS2) are being used (with Terrestrial LiDAR (T-LiDAR) datasets) to monitor changes in surface flow, infiltration, and sediment build-up at new check dams and detention features in Nogales, Patagonia, and at the Babocomari.
- T-LiDAR data and 2-D hydraulic models are also being used to examine changes in vegetation structure and channel dimensions in Patagonia.
- Hydrographs are developed using Continuous Slope Area methods to be input to calibrate watershed models for long-term predictions in the Chiricahua Mountains.
Acknowledgements
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a Federal agency that conducts science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment. This research is part of the Core Science Systems (CSS) Change Mission Area of the USGS, which undertakes scientific research using monitoring, remote sensing to address the effects of climate and land use change. The CSS provides the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public make informed decisions about the management of natural resources. Funding comes from the Land Change Science Program (LCSP) to understand the patterns, processes, and consequences of changes using models to predict scenarios of future conditions, and conduct integrative, holistic assessments.
Below are science projects managed under the Aridland Water Harvesting Study.
Cienega Ranch - Semi-desert Native Grassland Restoration
Rancho Ancón – Water Cycle Augmentation
Ciénega San Bernardino - Wetland Restoration
Patagonia - Gully Restoration
Nogales, Sonora - Flood Control
Chiricahua Mountains - Reduction of Channel Gradients
Babocomari - Managed Aquifer Recharge
- Overview
Most of western North America has been severely grazed by cattle, causing grasslands to deteriorate and desert scrub expansion. Climate in arid and semi-arid regions is often typified by short, intense rainfall events which contribute to short-term flooding and erosion. Associated arroyo cutting occurs when ephemeral creek beds are carved into the floodplain when erratic overland flow occurs; this lowers water tables, depleting surface and subsurface water supplies. When surface runoff is high, little recharge infiltrates to the basin aquifer, and high-intensity flow transports heavy sediment loads to channels, contributing to nonpoint source pollution in surface water bodies.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Click here** to see the "Informative video animated by Hans J. Huth portraying natural infrastructure in dryland streams (NIDS) in a watershed and descriptions of their documented climate-smart practices, graphic illustrated by Heartwood Visuals" (Supplementary video 1; Norman et al. 2022).
People living in arid land environments all over the globe have developed ways to manipulate the earth’s surface to benefit and sustain agricultural practices via water harvesting. Archaeologists have discovered such features dating back to Before the Common Era and in the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion (Sky Islands) built over a thousand years ago.
Federal agencies, including the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Parks Service, and Bureau of Land Management, are major land managers in this region, concerned with developing sustainable water supplies and vegetation for future generations and engage in best management practices. Additionally, private ranch owners have identified an immediate need for the adoption of proper conservation strategies in this area to control the eutrophication in downstream water supplies and to prevent further watershed degradation.
One solution is to install rock detention structures, such as (i.) a one rock dam (one-rock high) bed of rocks (en espanol: trinchera) can be in channels or hillslopes, (ii.) a check dam (gully plug), usually ~3 foot high loose rock structure set into channel, and/or (iii.) a rock gabion, which consists of rocks rapped in wire cage and keyed into channel (see Drawings)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Drawings by Chloé Fandel, Graduate Student at the University of Arizona. An effort to develop soil and water conservation measures in local riparian zones has recently been revived in both private and public lands in this region using rock detention structures to restore landscapes and create resiliency to change. Specific ally, structures are built to detain rainwater-runoff to (i.) increase infiltration and improve recharge, (ii.) increase surface water for plants and animals, and (iii.) reduce erosion, stabilize soil and prevent downstream transport. These goals have been identified colloquially, but not qualified nor quantified scientifically. We have broken these expected results into a list of Ecosystem Services.
Broad Science Questions
As such, we have developed a series of scientific questions to address their impacts both qualitatively and quantitatively, and the list keeps growing.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Ecosystem Services derived scientific question that our project addresses.(Public domain.) Project Objectives
I. Determine metrics to discern effectiveness of rock detention structures (quantifiable results).
II. Work with partners to determine where new structures should be…..
1. For flood prevention?
2. For vegetation and habitat?
3. To “heal” the land?
4. For groundwater recharge?
5. To reduce erosion and nonpoint source pollution (sedimentation in streams)?
6. To increase surface water?
7. To armor landscapes?
Scientific methodology
Our research is based on the hydrologic cycle that describes water as either: a) evaporated or transpired to the atmosphere; b) stored in the soil or in underground aquifers; or c) discharged to a nearby waterway (Fig. 3).
- Terrestrial monitoring documents the hydrological impacts of water harvesting devices and helps identify sites for future installation in Patagonia.
- Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite imagery and the derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values are being used to monitor changes in vegetation greenness at a desert wetland in San Bernardino.
- Hydrological geospatial models, including the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and the Kinematic Runoff and Erosion Model (KINEROS2) are being used (with Terrestrial LiDAR (T-LiDAR) datasets) to monitor changes in surface flow, infiltration, and sediment build-up at new check dams and detention features in Nogales, Patagonia, and at the Babocomari.
- T-LiDAR data and 2-D hydraulic models are also being used to examine changes in vegetation structure and channel dimensions in Patagonia.
- Hydrographs are developed using Continuous Slope Area methods to be input to calibrate watershed models for long-term predictions in the Chiricahua Mountains.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.This image shows all the study watersheds and affiliated ranches, cities and Federal agencies in the Aridland Water Harvesting Study.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Schematic of hydrologic cycle (aka. Water budget)(Public domain.) Acknowledgements
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a Federal agency that conducts science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment. This research is part of the Core Science Systems (CSS) Change Mission Area of the USGS, which undertakes scientific research using monitoring, remote sensing to address the effects of climate and land use change. The CSS provides the scientific foundation upon which policymakers, natural resource managers, and the public make informed decisions about the management of natural resources. Funding comes from the Land Change Science Program (LCSP) to understand the patterns, processes, and consequences of changes using models to predict scenarios of future conditions, and conduct integrative, holistic assessments.
- Science
Below are science projects managed under the Aridland Water Harvesting Study.
Cienega Ranch - Semi-desert Native Grassland Restoration
At the Cienega Ranch, near Willcox, Arizona, in the foothills of the Dos Cabeza Mountains, a rancher is working to restore and conserve high- quality native grasslands and critical wildlife habitat, while keeping the land as a working cattle ranch. Our objectives were to estimate the hydrological effect of water harvesting on grassland restoration and quantify how grassland conservation efforts...Rancho Ancón – Water Cycle Augmentation
The USGS is working with partners to understand the impacts of installing structures made from rock, sandbags and wood in channels at a dryland ranch in southern Baja California. Hydrogeological instrumentation, recording observations, modeling hydrogeological scenarios, and an interdisciplinary scientific study of the watershed interactions between water, ecological systems, and human activities...Ciénega San Bernardino - Wetland Restoration
Desert marshes and wetlands, or “ciénegas”, are extremely biodiverse habitats imperiled by anthropogenic demands for water and changing climates. Given their widespread loss and increased recognition as important wildlife habitat, remarkably little is known about restoration techniques.Patagonia - Gully Restoration
The Deep Dirt Farm Institute (DDFI), founded and directed by Kate Tirion, comprises 34 acres with deep agricultural soils, bisected by an ephemeral stream/wildlife corridor. The farm lies within a folded topography of hills, small sheltered valleys & broad meadow. A deep gully has diverted flows and needs repair.Nogales, Sonora - Flood Control
Flooding in Ambos Nogales often exceeds the capacity of the channel and adjacent land areas, endangering people and property. Goals of rock detention structures (RDS) are to diminish impacts of flooding and sedimentation on wastewater infrastructure thereby reducing the incidence of sanitary sewer overflows. We are studying the Nogales Wash to prevent future flood disasters and RDS are being...Chiricahua Mountains - Reduction of Channel Gradients
Drainages in the Chiricahua Mountains are impacted by large rain events that cause gullying effects in the headwaters, overflow at road crossings, flooding of campgrounds, and overwhelming sediment loads at outlets (Chiricahua National Monument). Monsoon rains following recent fires cause severe flooding in most drainages and debris flows in many others. Watershed restoration has been a major goal...Babocomari - Managed Aquifer Recharge
We are working to investigate the most cost-efficient way to recharge the Sierra Vista sub-basin aquifer using rainwater harvesting in the tributaries of the San Pedro River using low-technology methods. Research is being conducted on the Babacomari Ranch, property of the Brophy family. The Walton Family Foundation (WFF) is supporting our research with partners, Borderlands Restoration (BR)... - Data
- Publications
- News
- Partners