New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

The San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR) was established in 1982 to protect the historic San Bernardino ciénega (wetland). Intensive watershed use and channel straightening have led to incision, lowering the water table, and eliminating parts of the ciénega. Ecosystems have shown signs of recovery when channels reconnect with their historic floodplain. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has begun removing mesquite strands that have overtaken the former ciénega and developed a restoration plan. This project aims to conduct a channel hydraulic analysis of SBNWR and monitor ongoing restoration efforts. Field data will be collected through cross-sectional surveys and drone imagery analysis. Cross-sectional surveys with a survey-grade RTX-GPS system will capture precise elevation changes. At a broader scale, drone imagery will be used to generate digital elevation models (DEMs), which provide topographic data excluding vegetation coverage. Together, these datasets will help track geomorphic changes in the channel over time. To further analyze system responses to geomorphic events, the channel will be modeled using the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS). This model, which requires inputs like DEMs, will simulate flow dynamics and pinpoint areas of high shear stress along the banks. This project will contribute to understanding floodplain rehabilitation and support ongoing restoration efforts at SBNWR by providing a comprehensive hydrological analysis.