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This Greater Rio Grande Watershed Alliance (GRGWA) riparian restoration effectiveness monitoring plan (Monitoring Plan) presents background information and monitoring approaches for comprehensive monitoring of riparian restoration projects and natural resources management within the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) watershed. The monitoring approaches and methods will evaluate the effectiveness of riparian restoration projects conducted by GRGWA members whose projects are aimed at removing non-native vegetation and restoring a sustainable landscape that provides vital economic and ecological services to riverside communities in central and northern New Mexico. The monitoring approaches found within this plan will help the GRGWA achieve the objectives it has developed as an alliance, which are detailed below. This Monitoring Plan details the evaluation criteria and monitoring methods of the following items: riparian vegetation communities (wildlife habitat), shallow groundwater, soil health, and wildfire fuel loading. Monitoring will provide data to address how parameters representing those items respond to restoration treatments, and will show whether or not the restoration treatments are meeting goals outlined in the project proposal and by the GRGWA.

This field manual provides detailed protocols for riparian restoration effectiveness monitoring for the Greater Rio Grande Watershed Alliance (GRGWA) restoration projects. This field manual is meant to supplement the GRGWA Riparian Restoration Effectiveness Monitoring Plan (SWCA Environmental Consultants 2012). The monitoring plan provides an overview of the restoration effectiveness monitoring and the general methods used in this manual, and users of this field manual should first read over the monitoring plan to understand the general approaches and context for specific monitoring protocols.