## CONSERV

AT ION OF THE BIG BEND - RIO BRA VO REGION OF THE CHIHU AHU AN DESERTMA

Y 19, 20 10 JOINT ST AT EMENT FROM PRESIDENTS BARACK OBAMA AND FELIPE CALDERÓN

“The Presidents noted the long histor y of bilateral cooperation in the conser vation of natural and cultural resources. The y recognized that Big Bend National Park and Rio Grande Wild and Scenic Riv er in the United States and the Protected Areas of Maderas del Carmen, Cañon de Santa Elena, Ocampo, and Río Bra vo del Nor te in Mexico together comprise one of the largest and most significant ecological comple xes in Nor th America. In doing so, the y recognized that increased cooperation in these protected areas would restrict development and enhance security in the region and within this fragile deser t ecosyst em. To preser ve this region of e xtraordinar y biological div ersity, the y expressed their suppor t for the United States Depar tment of Interior and the Secretariat of En vironment and Natural R esources of the United Mexican States to work through appropriate national processes to recognize and designate Big Bend

– Rio Bra vo a s a natural area of binational int erest . The Presidents underscored their commitment to manage the region in a wa y that enhances security and protects these areas f or wildlife preser vation, ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation, wildland fire management, and in vasive species control.”**A strategic,**  **trans -**  **boundary approach to**  **landscape conservation.** **M o** **n i** **t o** **r i** **n g** **& R** **e s** **e a** **r c** **h C** **o n** **s e** **r v** **a t** **i o** **n D** **e s** **i g** **n Ecological / Biological**  **Planning**

**Delivery o**  **f Conservation**  **Actions** 

### Big Bend **- Rio Bravo Collaboration**  **for**

**Tr ans**  **- Boundary** **L andscape Conservation** 

# BIG BEND CONSER VA TION COOPERA

TIVE
 

### MOU signed in Oct ober 20 10  

### Accomplishments:  Grassland, riparian, and wetland rest oration on public and priv at e lands  Suppor t reco ve ry

of the endangered Rio Grande silv er y minno w  Gr ound water in ve stigations t o pr ot ect spring flow t o the Rio Grande  Re location of Deser t Bighorn sheep  

### Ad ditional funding secured f or:  LID AR imager y of Rio Grande/Río Bra vo  In vasiv e riparian plant contr ol  Wa te rshed conser vation in Alamit o Creek 

### Selected as an America’ s Great Outdoors project in 201 1!

# BIG BEND - RIO BRA

VO INITIA TIVE ACTION PLAN

12 specific goals relat ed to :  Rio Grande
- Río Bra vo w at ershed conser vation: riv er, riparian, spring, and grassland habitats  Conser vation of nativ e species and contr ol of exo tic, in vasiv e species  Ta rget ed monit oring and resear ch for conser vation decisions/actions  Assessing and managing the effe cts of climat e change on natural resour ces  Re
- opening a local bor der cr ossing t o facilitat e transboundar y conser vation  Bi
- national cooperativ e fire management  Engaging local communities and pr ot ect ed area visit ors in conser vation

# BIG BEND - RIO BRA VO INITIA TIVE

 

### Accomplishments  Included in the CEC operational plan  IB WC/CILA established a bi
- national en vir onmental flows committee  30 riv er miles of exo tic, in vasiv e riparian plants treated on each side of the riv er o ve r 1 0 years  Continued geomorphic studies  Significant pr ogress toward opening Boq uillas cr ossing U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Anthony Wa yne, SEMARNA T Secretary Elvira, and DOI Secretary Salazar help release 300,000 silvery minnows in October 201 1.

## COMMISSION F OR ENVIRONMENT AL COOPERA

TION
 

### Big Bend
- Río Bra vo Collaboration for Tr ansboundar y Landscape Conser va tion  Tw o ye ars funding: $755,000  Bi
- national Wo rking Gr oup (Chairs: CONANP and NPS)  Scientific information: relationships betw een sediment dynamics, in vasiv e riparian ve getation management and ecosystem health  Fo cused coor dination and facilitation of bi
- national fo rums fo r strategic conser vation planning and pr ogram management  Bi
- national Conser va tion Strategy  De ve lopment of eco -to urism options fo r the Boq uillas community

## RIO GRANDE SIL

VERY MINNO W RE - EST

ABLISHMENT  RG SM was last documented in the Big Bend reach of the Rio Grande in 1960  BOR funding ($1 00
- 200K/y ear)  Since 2008, nearly 2 million silv er y minno ws released  Initial success!  Quar te rly monit oring  20 10 : successful breeding including eggs, lar val fish, and juvenile fish  20 11 : Expanded distribution
– fr om 1 5 miles upstream of Grassy Banks t o 70 miles do wnstream of Adams Ranch  Habitat mapping (USGS)  Habitat impr ove ment still needed  Exotic vegetation management  En vir onmental flows?  5
-ye ar re vie w: Structured Decision Making

## RIO GRANDE/RIO BRA VO
 

## Add slide fr om Jeff Johnson Ranch 1945  Channel spans entire width of bedr ock walls  Alt ernating sand bars  Activ e eddy 2008  Floodplain sur face inset within bedr ock walls  St eep, high banks completely colonized b y tamarisk  Eddy has filled with sediment and is colonized b y giant cane Fr om Dean and Schmidt 20 11 Sand Bars Eddy

# SEEKING SOL UTIONS Regulated flows and invasive vegetation have led to channel sedimentation, loss of channel capacity, decreased diversity of aquatic habitat, degraded water quality and increased flooding frequency... Possible solutions include: (1) Managing exotic riparian vegetation to reduce armoring of the banks of the river; (2) Environmental flows; (3) *Grassland restoration to reduce erosion and the sediment supply
. 

## Flooding of the Rio Grande September 2008

# EXOT IC VEGET

AT ION MANAGEMENT ( 2003 – 20 12 )  

### Objectiv es:  Re duce riparian ve getation density  Evaluat e ecological and morphological effe cts  Increase biodiv ersity/impr ove habitat  Increase recreational access  

### Implementation:  Binational saltcedar treatment pr oject de ve loped by

CONANP  Labor pr ov ided b y citizens of Boq uillas  Saltcedar treatments in upland springs  Large scale giant cane treatment  Establish saltcedar biocontr ol  Quantitativ e monit oring of pr ojects JS1**Slide 11**

**JS1** Use "saltcedar" instead of Tamarix

J Sirotnak, 4/2/2010

# UNDERST

ANDING THE RIO GRANDE  

### Rio Grande/Rio Bra vo Geomorphology/Channel Change Studies  Utah Stat e Univ ersity
– 35 cr oss sections in 3 study reaches  Da ve Dean’s Thesis, and publications by Dean and Schmidt  National Park Ser vice
– Phot o Points  NPS/ Sul Ro ss Stat e Univ ersity
– 4 study sit es in Boq uillas Can yo n  

### Aquatic Habitat/Communities  TC EQ
- NPS A qu atic in ve rt ebrat es – Identification of samples needs funding  Te xas Stat e Univ ersity
- Algae  Riparian Vegetation / BioContr ol and management of in vasiv e species.  

### Re ser vo ir Operations/Basin
- wide analysis  

### Univ ersity of T

ex as - Ph ysical Assessment Pr oject

### UNDERST

ANDING & PROTECTING W AT ER QU ALIT Y AND QU ANTIT Y  

### Sur fa ce W at er (NPS, IB WC , TCEQ, USGS)  Monit oring of flows and water q uality in the Rio Grande  IB WC’s T

ex as Clean Riv ers Pr ogram for the Rio Grande Basin  Wa te r q uality monit oring, assessment, and public outreach  

### Re connaissance of Wat er Chemistr y and Spring Flo w t o the Rio Grande (NPS, SRSU , USGS, IB WC , TCEQ)  Identify recharge areas and flow paths f or springs on the lower Rio Grande, the lower P ecos, and the lower De vil’s Riv er .  Fu ture work:  Det ermine connection to regional gr oundwater flow paths  Define transboundar y aq uifer?  Det ermine wat er q uality trends with respect to changing channel conditions

## BIG BEND – RIO BRA VO CONSERV

AT ION STRA

TEGY
 

### CEC W orking Gr oup met this w eek  

### Bi
- national, par ticipat or y, consensus - driv en pr ocess  

### De ve loped conser va tion targets and priorities  

### De ve loped a draft 5
-ye ar e xot ic species work plan  

### Planned Sept ember meetings t o engage a div erse gr oup of bi
national par tners and v alidat e the preliminar y strat egy

Bi - natioanl vegetation management crew

# COLLABORA

TIVE ACTIVITIES, 20 12 - 20 13

 

### De ve lop a bi
- national landscape conser va tion strat egy  

### Conduct a bi
- national stream rest oration course  

### Complet e trans - boundar y GIS database  

### De ve lop and publish w ebsit e for the par tnership  

### Continue geomorphologic studies  

### Continue t o suppor t reco ve ry of endangered species  

### Continue t o contr ol e xot ic, in va siv e species  

### Continue t o engage local communities in conser va tion and sustainable economic de ve lopment

# BIG BEND - RIO BRA VO P ARTNERS

 U. S. Agencies  Me xico Federal Agencies  State Agencies  Private Conser va tion Areas  Univ ersities  Non
- Go ve rnmental Organizations 

## Over 30 partners in Mexico and the U.S.

### • 

# Aimee R ober son U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser vice  

## Aimee_R oberson@fws.go v

• 

# Jeff Bennett Big Bend National Park  

## Jeffe ry_Bennett@n ps.go v • 

# Carlos Sifuent es CONANP  

## casifuent es@conan p.gob.mx2003
– Riparian Ve getation Management begins (CONANP , NPS, WWF & IBWC) 2004
– Establishment of spring monitoring pr ogram 2005
– Geomorphic studies begin (Utah Stat e Univ ersity & NPS) 2008
– WWF organized a binational riv er symposium

– Began releases of Rio Grande silv er y minno w 2009
– NPS WRD hosts Science T eam t o discuss en vir onmental flo ws

– WWF organizes Science T eam/CONAGU A meeting and field trip to t he Rio Conchos to discuss en vir onmental flows **2009/10**
– FWS and Big Bend NPfacilitate conversations and site visits with conservation partners about **grassland restoration**  techniques **2010**
– **Presidents Calderon and Obama**  discuss the importance of cooperative conservation in the Big Bend - Rio Bravo area

– Establishment of **sediment monitoring**  program for the Rio Grande

– **Big Bend Conservation Cooperative** MOU 

### COOPERA

TIVE PROJECTS COOPERA TIVE PROGRAMS

### COOPERA

TIVE PROJECTS COOPERA TIVE PROGRAMS 20 10 /20 11
– Minister Elivra and Secretar y Salazar meet to discuss binational conser vation oppor tunities in the Big Bend
- Rio Bra vo region 20 11
– Big Bend
- Rio Bra vo I nitiativ e Action Plan De ve loped

– IB WC & CILA Commissioners visit Big Bend

– IB WC hosts binational meetings on en vir onmental flows

– Commission fo r En vir onmental Cooperation funding

– Binational Conser vation Celebration in Big Bend

– BBCC/BBRBI par tnership meeting s continue 20 12
– BBCC/BBRBI m eetings in Mexico and the U . S. to creat e a transboundar y landscape conser vation strat egy fo r the Big Bend
- Rio Bra vo region

– Continued cane and tamarisk contr ol

– Rev ie w and refinement of silv er y minno w re - establishment pr ogram