Restoration work on portions of Los Alamos Canyon expected to begin later in April. Courtesy/Forest Service

Forest Service News:

SANTA FE — Restoration work is expected to begin along portions of Los Alamos Canyon later this month as part of the “Los Alamos Canyon Restoration and Sediment Reduction Project”.

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is funding this project through their River Stewardship Program and in partnership with Los Alamos County. This restoration work will be implemented by Keystone Restoration, LLC and is a phase of the Northern New Mexico Riparian, Aquatic, and Wetland Restoration Project, which is a cross-jurisdictional project spanning the Carson, the Santa Fe, and the Cibola National Forests.

Los Alamos Canyon is situated in the eastern Jemez Mountains in Los Alamos County and work will primarily occur on National Forest System lands that are managed by the Española Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest.

The work will address channel instability in the upper Los Alamos Canyon watershed as well as to restore the channel and the floodplain downstream of the Los Alamos Reservoir to a functioning condition.

The canyon has experienced destabilized hillslopes with areas of deep gullying, head-cutting, and significant erosion. Specific proposed restoration activities include installation of water control structures, restoration of channel alignments, and planting of native trees and grasses.

To follow updates on this project and additional projects, visit the Santa Fe National Forest homepage, Facebook page and X page.