2011 Los Alamos National Laboratory Riparian Inventory Results

Norris, Elizabeth J.¹  Hansen, Leslie A.¹  Hathcock, Charles D.¹  Keller, David C.¹  Zemlick, Catherine M.¹ 

[1]Los Alamos National Laboratory

关键词: Earth Sciences;    Environmental Protection;    Basic Biological Sciences(59);    CANYONS;    CATTLE;    DEPOSITION;    HABITAT;    LANL;    PLANTS;    REMEDIAL ACTION;    SEDIMENTS;    STREAMS;    WATERSHEDS;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1038122
RP-ID  :  LA-UR-12-20277
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1038122
Others  :  TRN: US201208%%551

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来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

A total length of 36.7 kilometers of riparian habitat were inventoried within LANL boundaries between 2007 and 2011. The following canyons and lengths of riparian habitat were surveyed and inventoried between 2007 and 2011. Water Canyon (9,669 m), Los Alamos Canyon (7,131 m), Pajarito Canyon (6,009 m), Mortandad Canyon (3,110 m), Two-Mile Canyon (2,680 m), Sandia Canyon (2,181 m), Three-Mile Canyon (1,883 m), Canyon de Valle (1,835 m), Ancho Canyon (1,143 m), Canada del Buey (700 m), Sandia Canyon (221 m), DP Canyon (159 m) and Chaquehui Canyon (50 m). Effluent Canyon, Fence Canyon and Potrillo Canyon were surveyed but no areas of riparian habitat were found. Stretches of inventoried riparian habitat were classified for prioritization of treatment, if any was recommended. High priority sites included stretches of Mortandad Canyon, LA Canyon, Pajarito Canyon, Two-Mile Canyon, Sandia Canyon and Water Canyon. Recommended treatment for high priority sites includes placement of objects into the stream channel to encourage sediment deposition, elimination of channel incision, and to expand and slow water flow across the floodplain. Additional stretches were classified as lower priority, and, for other sites it was recommended that feral cattle and exotic plants be removed to aid in riparian habitat recovery. In June 2011 the Las Conchas Wildfire burned over 150,000 acres of land in the Jemez Mountains and surrounding areas. The watersheds above LA Canyon, Water Canyon and Pajarito Canyon were burned in the Las Conchas Wildfire and flooding and habitat alteration were observed in these canyon bottoms (Wright 2011). Post fire status of lower priority areas may change to higher priority for some of the sites surveyed prior to the Las Conchas Wildfire, due to changes in vegetation cover in the adjacent upland watershed.