Post-Fire Watershed Restoration and Monitoring in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona

The 2011 Horseshoe 2 fire caused intense flooding and soil erosion which led to stream sedimentation, infrastructure damage, and degraded watershed conditions in the Chiricahua Mountains region. To address this, partners engaged in a restoration project in burned (Tex Canyon) and unburned (Bar Boot Allotment) watersheds using in-channel loose rock erosion control structures. In 2015, a crew of 8 –10 people from the Department of Corrections installed over 650 structures in the drainages, and a 7-person crew of paid youth interns built 46 structures at Bar Boot. Monitoring results from USGS showed increased sediment deposits, maintained soil moisture and surface water, and successful vegetation establishment in the watershed.