Our Work
Field-based research, education, and partnerships advancing wildlife conservation and resilient landscapes across the Borderlands.
Low-Tech Restoration of Degraded Rangeland Channels
Jared Schniers
Jared’s research evaluates whether low-tech, process-based restoration practices can improve soil moisture retention and promote native vegetation in degraded Chihuahuan Desert rangelands. Within the Alamito Creek watershed, filter dams constructed from locally available wood and rock will be installed across incised channels to slow runoff, capture sediment, and retain moisture. Drone imagery will be used to compare vegetation greenness, productivity, and recovery between treated channels and untreated reference areas. By restoring natural hydrologic and geomorphic processes, this research seeks to develop a practical and reproducible approach for reducing erosion, reconnecting degraded channels with their floodplains, and improving riparian and rangeland habitat for landowners and conservation practitioners.
