RioGrandeETWells: Southern Bosque del Apache Saltcedar Flooding Central; Water Table Level; m (May 1999)

Restoration efforts that remove non-native understory vegetation or dense
monotypic stands of non-native vegetation from riparian zones (the bosque) are
designed to reduce consumption of water. Quantification of the response of
evapotranspiration (ET) and water table depths to non-native understory removal or
to eradication of dense stands of non-native species like salt cedar or Russian
olive is needed to provide defensible estimates of potential water-savings from
restoration activities. In addition to restoration assessment, it is also important
to monitor the effects the increasing roles of fire and post-burn management have on
ET and water tables. We monitored the ET and water table responses of a site with
understory removed (Albuquerque South Valley).