Important to wildlife, cattle, and most critical, clean water supplies, riparian areas are in poor shape because of grazing, water diversion, the invasion of weed species like salt cedar and urban development. Cattle hurt stream banks by eating young trees, fouling water, overgrazing, and otherwise causing erosion. On forest grazing allotments, stream beds are often dried out, hoof-marked, eroded mud flats. But a number of streamside ecology projects started by the Bureau of Land management in 1991, have demonstrated how dramatically rivers can rebound. Once sinking in mud, the Rio Senorito, a tributary of the Rio Puerco once considered one of the most degraded riparian areas in the state, flows clear over grass after cattle removal.
Grassy banks are more hospitable to a wider variety of plants, bugs, birds, fish and wildlife.
Because streams move more slowly along grassy banks, the water table rises, additional plants grow and sediment settles. This not only improves wildlife conditions, but recharges aquifers. The cost to affected ranchers of removing cattle from streamside areas cannot be underestimated. Many ranchers in or out of wilderness areas will cut their herds substantially or altogether. Caren Cowan, director of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, said the agreement marks a shift in attitude on the part of the Forest Service, upon whom ranchers depend for grazing leases.