Introduction

In May of 2001, the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) began a project titled "Effects of Fuels-Reduction and Exotic Plant Removal on Vertebrates, Vegetation, and Water Resources in Southwestern Riparian Ecosystems." Refered to as the Fuels Reduction Study or FRS, this project seeks to assess the effects of the removal of dense stands of fire-prone invasive species, especially salt cedar, on experimental sites spanning approximately 135 linear kilometers along the Middle Rio Grande. The FRS consists of 3 experimental replicates of 4 treatments each for a total of 12 individual sites. Treatments include:

• Control
• Removal of Exotic Vegetation with Burning of Residues and Application of Herbicide
• Removal of Exotic Vegetation with on-site Mulching of Residue and Application of Herbicide
• Removal of Exotic Vegetation with Application of Herbicide and Planting of Native Shrubs

The hydrology portion of the FRS includes 2 groundwater monitoring wells on each site for a total of 24 primary wells. Groundwater level and temperature data is mechanically collected from each well at a 15 minute interval over the course of the study by a datalogger.

Under the guidance of RMRS's Roy Jemison, student technicians have been primarily responsible for data collection and processing of the hydrology portion of the FRS. The resultant periodic turnover of student technicians gave rise to difficulties in project continuity. In response to this challenge, we have used ArcGIS to generate key project reference documents. We anticipate the future use and extension of these reference works by ourselves and others, and have designed the reference works accordingly.