The Silver City Watershed Keepers will be celebrating World Water Day this month with a panel discussion on March 23 and field trip on March 25 focused on San Vicente Creek stream restoration.
Silver City has been celebrating World Water Day, an international event, for the past 10 years. World Water Day 2023 is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. This year’s World Water Day is asking people to “be the change they want to see in the world” by changing the way you use, consume, and manage water in your lives.
With funding from the NM Environment Department River Stewardship Program, Gila Resources Information Project (GRIP) and Silver City Watershed Keepers (SCWK), along with the Town of Silver City, Stream Dynamics, Gila WoodNet, and Lone Mountain Natives have been activating change by addressing water quality impairments and threats to riparian habitat in San Vicente Creek through the San Vicente Creek River Stewardship Project.
By redesigning sewer line access routes and constructing a grade control structure, the project is improving water quality of San Vicente Creek by assisting the Town in conducting its routine sewer line maintenance to prevent future sewage leaks. Nutrient loads will be reduced by check dams constructed in a tributary that is experiencing severe erosion. Additionally, stream restoration work will improve stream geometry and floodplain access by induced stream meandering features constructed along the creek.
In order to reduce riparian fire risk, slash and non-native trees have been removed, including Siberian elm, tamarisk, and Tree of Heaven, to protect legacy cottonwoods and other native trees. Grasses, wildflowers, and native trees and shrubs are being planted to restore the San Vicente Creek riparian corridor and stabilize stream banks.
Learn about these improvements by attending a Zoom panel discussion with Van Clothier, Martha Egnal, and Mike Fugagli of Stream Dynamics, and Allyson Siwik of Gila Resources Information Project on Thursday, March 23 at 6:30 PM. Tune in here: https://tinyurl.com/WorldWaterDay2023Panel. The event will also be streamed live on the Silver City Watershed Keepers Facebook page.
Stream Dynamics specializes in riparian restoration and urban stormwater management, including watershed assessment, design, permitting, restoration construction (including operating a wide variety of heavy equipment), monitoring, reporting, and educational presentations and workshops. For this project, Van Clothier serves as senior restoration designer, Martha coordinates involvement, and Mike Fugagli assists with hydrologic and biological surveys and restoration work, including tree planting and rock stacking. Allyson Siwik is the project manager.
Check out the stream restoration work first-hand on a field trip along the creek on Saturday, March 25 from 10 AM – noon. Meet at the Murray Ryan Visitor Center at 9:30 AM to carpool/caravan to the project site. Plan to wear sturdy walking shoes (that can get wet and muddy – There will be 2-4 stream crossings) and a hat and carry water and snacks.
If you can’t attend and would like to get involved, join us for a volunteer day on April 15, 2023 to plant additional willows, cottonwoods and native plants. For more information, please contact the Silver City Watershed Keepers at 575.538.8078, silvercitywatershedkeepers@gmail.com, and follow us on Facebook @SCWatershedKeepers.