Riparian Woodland and Grassland Restoration to Increase Resilience to Drought

Multiple organizations are working with public and private landowners to restore the riparian woodlands and enhance grassland habitats throughout the Terlingua Creek watershed The project involved revegetating riparian plants (specifically Fremont cottonwood and Goodding’s willow), increasing sediment retention and riparian aquifer recharge, and establishing nurseries to generate sustainable native plant material for harvest. Understanding the ecohydrology and geomorphology of Terlingua Creek has improved the success of these revegetation efforts, which has led to fine sediment accumulation and channel aggradation. These efforts has also helped enhance ecosystem function and resilience to drought and extreme flood events.