Description
The BLM Aquatic Habitat Management works cooperatively with a wide range of constituents to develop strategies that provide protection for sensitive riparian and wetland areas as well as maintain or restore stream function and stream access to floodplains while supporting multiple uses on public lands. The program manages and guides fish and aquatic habitat conservation, riparian and wetland conservation, control of aquatic invasive species, aquatic organism passage, and monitoring riparian and instream habitat conditions and water quantity and quality condition and trends. The NM BLM has opportunities to work with partner organizations to accomplish goals of the BLM Aquatic Habitat Management that include, but are not limited to, such things as: 1. Development and/or implementation of watershed management plans. 2. Increased local capacity to protect and enhance water quality, promote water conservation, and sustain the present health of the watershed. 3. Improvements in the resiliency of ecosystems, communities, and economies in the watershed. 4. Improvements in the hydraulic and geomorphic conditions of streams. 5. Removal of invasive vegetation in riparian areas to enhance fish habitat, water quality and the physical characteristics of the stream. 6. Inventory, modernize and/or develop infrastructure such as culverts and diversion structures in order to improve fish passage. 7. Provide a forum for enhanced communication among diverse stakeholder groups along the watershed. 8. Conserve and enhance aquatic and riparian habitats for native and non-native game and non-game species. 9. Provide resources for recreational and subsistence fishing opportunities including increasing public access and infrastructure, such as fishing piers, for public enjoyment and outreach, education and job mentoring activities for youth, families, and veterans. 10. Protect and stabilize both lotic and lentic aquatic and riparian habitats. 11. Implement projects to reduce erosion, salinity and sediments. 12. Collect and analyze water resources data needed to maintain, protect and restore water resources effectively. 13. Inventory, assess, monitor, and improve aquatic, riparian, and wetland habitat quality and quantity. 14. Address the immediate threats from aquatic invasive species, including quagga and zebra mussels. 15. Influencing water temperature or improving the timing or volume of available flows at particular locations to improve aquatic conditions. 16. Monitor surface and groundwater quality. 17. Manage geospatial and biometric data. 18. Conduct baseline inventories and assessments critical to many public land uses and ongoing monitoring programs. 19. Engage citizen-scientists and students in monitoring and directed research of various BLM dependent aquatic and riparian species and their habitats. 20. Develop and assist with Aquatic Invasive Programs including Mapping, Control, Prevention, Education, Data analysis, Modeling, Risk Assessments, Biosecurity, eDNA surveillance, etc.