Springs of the Rio Grande Gorge, Taos County, New Mexico: Inventory, data report, and preliminary geochemistry

Bauer, Paul W.; Johnson, Philip W.; Timmons, Stacy

doi:10.58799/ofr-506

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 5 publications

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“…It is possible that the observed historical spatial pattern of sagebrush concentrated in the southeastern portion of the study area is associated with patterns in soils or local moisture gradients. The colluvium and landslides or alluvium geologic units in the area between the volcanic mountains in the southeastern region (Bauer et al, 2007) could have created deeper and more favorable soils for sagebrush. Additionally, calcium carbonate is located higher in the soil horizon toward the northern part of the study area, and lower in the soil in the southeast (Heller, 2020), which could have favored other shrubs, such as winterfat and rabbitbrush ( Krascheninnikovia lanata and Ericameria nauseosa ; Heller, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Fox,

Margolis,

Lopez

et al. 2023

J Vegetation Science

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QuestionsBig sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems across the western United States have experienced many changes in ecosystem dynamics and vegetation composition over the last century due to livestock grazing, non‐native species, and changing climate and fire regimes. We conducted the first systematic investigation of historical vegetation composition and vegetation change in a sagebrush landscape in the southwestern United States, asking whether sagebrush or grass dominated the landscape historically?LocationThe Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (RGDN), northern New Mexico, USA.MethodsWe combined General Land Office (GLO) surveys from 1881 with modern vegetation maps, field vegetation surveys, and sagebrush ages from growth ring analysis to test for changes in vegetation in the RGDN over the last 140 years.ResultsWe found that big sagebrush presence across the study area increased significantly, from being present on 16% of section lines in 1881 to 79% in 2019, and only three section lines lost sagebrush presence during that period. Concurrently, the number of section lines with low grass index more than doubled since 1881, while moderate and high grass index declined. Grass declined equally in areas where sagebrush increased and areas with no change in sagebrush, suggesting that changes in both vegetation types were catalyzed by external factors, likely including overgrazing. The growth ring analysis of 93 sagebrush revealed a maximum age of 87 years and establishment in every decade since the 1930s, consistent with the GLO results.ConclusionsThe significant vegetation changes in the RGDN over the last century, including an increase of sagebrush, provide important context about the shifting mosaic of grasslands and shrublands relevant to current and future management and ecosystem dynamics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Fox,

Margolis,

Lopez

et al. 2023

J Vegetation Science

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Quantifying River Accretion in the Upper Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico, by Using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler

Kinzli

Shafike²,

Bauer

et al. 2011

River Research & Apps

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The section of the upper Rio Grande in New Mexico is important to downstream water management and the administration of water rights. It has long been believed that this remote reach of the Rio Grande is characterized by significant groundwater accretions, which contribute to water available for downstream uses. This study focused on the uppermost 30 miles of the Rio Grande in New Mexico seeking to establish locations of groundwater accretions in the reach and document magnitude of gain. In order to quantify the accretion of the upper Rio Grande, an expedition using inflatable kayaks, an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and an electromagnetic meter was carried out in the fall of 2008 when natural surface flow was low. The study area covered a stretch of 31 miles. The expedition was able to determine that the total accretion of this stretch of the Rio Grande was 22 ft3s−1 with an average accretion rate of 0.73 ft3s−1 mile−1. Most of the reach exhibited minimal gain or loss, and most of the accretion was centred in Sunshine Valley. One of the most significant results was encountering a large artesian, subaqueous spring, which might be the largest documented spring in New Mexico and contributes nearly 50% of the accretion in the reach. The study was also able to characterize the exact locations of other significant groundwater inputs. In addition to quantifying the accretion of part of the upper Rio Grande, the study provides the framework for using advanced technology in the form of an ADCP to determine river accretions in remote locations. ADCPs offer the benefit of reducing measurement time and measurement error, collect high‐resolution data and are non‐intrusive. Overall, the use of ADCP technology to determine river accretion offers an improvement over traditional methods, and it is the hope of the authors that this technology is utilized for river accretion studies in the future. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Persistent places

Montgomery¹

2021

A History of Mobility in New Mexico

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Springs of the Rio Grande Gorge, Taos County, New Mexico: Inventory, data report, and preliminary geochemistry

Cited by 3 publications

References 5 publications

Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Vegetation change over 140 years in a sagebrush landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico, USA

Quantifying River Accretion in the Upper Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico, by Using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler

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