Explore the Upper Gallinas Watershed
A Virtual Tour
We are so happy you're here.
Join Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance for a virtual tour of the Upper Gallinas Watershed, located in northeastern New Mexico. The tour will guide you from Johnson Mesa, near the headwaters of the Gallinas River, to the City of Las Vegas' Water Treatment Plant.
On our journey, we will discover what makes a watershed, where our water comes from, and how as a community, we may impact and improve the quality and quantity of our water and the health of our watershed. We will also discuss the role of healthy forests, the importance of riparian habitat, tips for protecting our watershed while we recreate, how we’re working to restore damaged portions of our watershed!
The virtual tour of the Upper Gallinas Watershed consists of twelve stops and is meant to be explored using an electronic device such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. A driving guide pamphlet will be available in March 2022 for those who would like to get their boots dirty and explore the watershed in person. Keep in mind, not all stops are accessible to the public, but those that are will display the following symbol:
Visit the Hermit's Peak Watershed Alliance website in March 2022 to get your copy of the driving guide!
Tour Map
But First, Let's cover the basics.
Buckle up, The Upper Gallinas Virtual Tour begins now!
1. Johnson Mesa
The first stop on our tour is Johnson Mesa. Johnson Mesa is located southeast of Elk Mountain, the headwaters of the Gallinas River, which is the topmost point in the Upper Gallinas Watershed. This landmark is named after John Johnson, who served as District Ranger for the Pecos Wilderness during the early 1900's. Johnson Mesa was regularly used as a U.S. Forest Service lookout point to locate wildfires and is still visited today by many to take in the incredible mountain, valley and plains vistas. There you can spend the night (or several!) at the U.S. Forest Service campground that is located on the boundary of the Gallinas and Tecolote watersheds. The campground is open to the public year-round and includes dispersed campsites with access to picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets. Click here to learn more about the Johnson Mesa Campground.
2. Baker Flat
Welcome to Baker Flat. Baker Flat is a day-use area on the Gallinas River in the Santa Fe National Forest. It is open to the public year-round and visitors can enjoy picnicking in the mixed conifer forest and fishing near the headwaters of the Gallinas River. Click here to learn more about Baker Flat and other nearby places to explore in the Santa Fe National Forest.
3. Native River Conditions
On our next stop, we'll explore Native River Conditions. Upstream of Gallinas Village there is a section of the Gallinas River that is wrapped in lush vegetation and meanders the entire width of the valley bottom. This section of river has not been altered in the same way as much of the Gallinas River to accommodate agriculture and represents native river conditions. Native river conditions exhibit stable stream characteristics for a section of river prior to modification or human intervention. Native river conditions assist in developing restoration goals and are referred to as a "reference reach."
Determining the reference reach is important because it helps to identify things like vegetation and riparian area characteristics, wildlife and suitable habitat, and stream channel dimensions and characteristics. All of these features serve as the blueprint for restoration.
4. El Porvenir Campground
Situated in a mixed conifer forest in Porvenir Canyon near Beaver Creek and El Porvenir Christian Camp is El Porvenir Campground. Here there are 13 developed campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, grills, and bear-proof bins for visitors to utilize from May to December 31st. Click here to learn more about El Porvenir Campground and all of the sites and activities the Santa Fe National Forest has to offer.
El Porvenir Campground is located near the confluence of the Gallinas River and Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek is an important tributary to the Gallinas River and acts as a cold-water input to help cool the river.
The figure above highlights the restoration area at El Porvenir Christian Camp and describes the position and location of proposed in-stream restoration features. Click to expand the figure and get a closer look at the restoration plan!
In the fall of 2020, Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance, through funding from the New Mexico Environmental Department and in collaboration with Watershed Artisans Inc., completed an instream restoration project at El Porvenir Christian Camp. The restoration included 12 new water features to help direct water into deepened existing pools and newly constructed pools. This was done to increase water storage within the protective riparian area while also creating fish habitat, an area for stream energy to dissipate, and to allow stream water to cool before it joins the Gallinas River.
The photos in the left column are taken pre-restoration. The photos in the right column are taken post-restoration. Both photo groups were taken in 2020. Row 1 (PV1) looking upstream, shows an excavated boulder step pool. Row 2 (PV3) looking downstream, shows an excavated boulder step pool in a thinned riparian area. Row 3 (PV6) at bank right, shows a constructed log jam above an excavated pool in a thinned riparian area.
5. Gallinas Village Fire Department
The village of Gallinas is nestled in the Gallinas River valley approximately 12 miles northwest of the city of Las Vegas. Downstream from the Gallinas Village Fire Department is the next stop on our virtual tour and where we will discuss floodplains and why they're important to our watersheds.
The map above describes the location on the Gallinas River and within the Upper Gallinas Watershed where the floodplain restoration was implemented.
In 2019, Hermit’s Peak Watershed Alliance completed a floodplain restoration project with funding through New Mexico Environment Department's River Stewardship Program. The project consisted of complete in-stream restoration on a 1/2 mile section of the Gallinas River in the village of Gallinas. The specific project objectives include:
- regain floodwater, sediment, and debris access to the floodplain
- improve distribution of floodwater across the floodplain
- restore native vegetation to the floodplain area
- restore healthy and appropriate stream bank and channel
- enhance riparian vegetation.
The maps above display side-by-side aerial imagery of the Gallinas Village restoration site before and after the floodplain restoration project.
Click here to learn more about past and current restoration projects in the Upper Gallinas Watershed as well as access to the complete Gallinas Village River Stewardship Program Report .
The photos in the left column are taken pre-restoration. The photos in the right column are taken post-restoration. Row 1 shows a new floodplain bench, constructed pools, and fish structures. Row 2 shows streambank anchoring and erosion control treatments, a new pool, and improved sinuosity. Rows 3-5 show constructed cobble bars that narrow the channel and improve sinuosity.
6. Trout Springs
Trout Springs is a cold-water tributary to the Gallinas River. The confluence of Trout Springs is located on private land approximately 1.5 miles downstream from the Village of Gallinas. According to the New Mexico Environmental Department, the Gallinas River does not support its beneficial use of cold-water aquatic life and the creek is categorized as impaired as a result of warm water temperatures. In order to support cold-water aquatic life, water temperatures should not exceed 68°F. Water temperatures in the Gallinas River regularly reach 70°F and have been recorded as high as 86.7°F in 2003.
7. High Point
High Point, is just as it sounds, the highest point along Highway 65 in Gallinas Canyon. To the west, High Point offers a commanding view of the headwaters of the Gallinas River and its tributaries. To the east, the United World College and the town of Montezuma come into view.
8. USGS Gauge Station
In the Gallinas River, upstream of the diversion dam, is a gauge station that is owned and maintained by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Gauge stations are devices used by hydrologists to monitor streams, rivers, wells, and reservoirs. These stations collect many types of data, but in the Gallinas River, water height and discharge (flow) are collected. This portion of the Gallinas River is located in the protected watershed owned by the City of Las Vegas and is not accessible to the public. These restrictions are put into place to ensure the quality and quantity of water that the citizens of this region rely upon.
9. Water Diversion Dam
Downstream of the USGS gauge station is the City of Las Vegas' Water Diversion Dam, located within the city's protected watershed. The original diversion dam was completed in 1911 but after several floods and significant damage, a new diversion dam was constructed downstream of the original. From the dam, water is diverted to a settling pond where it is stored while sediment drops out and settles to the bottom. From the settling pond, water is again diverted to two separate reservoirs, Peterson and Bradner. Peterson reservoir was the first to be constructed and currently stores over 100,000,000 gallons of water. As the city of Las Vegas' demand for water increased, additional storage was needed and Bradner reservoir was constructed.
The original diversion dam built from 1910-1911 on the left. The current diversion dam located downstream of the original, on the right.
10. Skating Pond
Near the base of Gallinas Canyon and upstream from the United World College is the Skating Pond. Before the skating pond came to be, this section of the Gallinas River was a small reservoir created by Agua Pura Company in 1880. A dam was constructed upstream of Montezuma and water was transported by pipe from the reservoir to Las Vegas homes and fire hydrants. With the expansion of the railroad came a growing demand for ice and Agua Pura Company soon discovered a new purpose for the reservoir. The steep vertical cliffs in Gallinas Canyon shaded the reservoir, keeping the surface frozen for several months during the winter season. Agua Pura Company constructed a total of nine ice ponds in the Gallinas River and harvested over 50,000 tons of ice annually while providing seasonal employment to over 300 people.
11. Montezuma Hot Springs
On the south side of the Gallinas River, adjacent to the United World College are the Montezuma Hot Springs. The seeps and springs begin approximately one half mile upstream of Montezuma and continue 1,500 feet downstream. The hot springs have long been sought after for their restorative properties and continue to provide relaxation to visitors today. The baths range from the lobster pot at nearly 120°F to more temperate baths, each believed to have healing minerals to help cure a variety of ailments.
Montezuma Hot Springs with the United World College in the background.
12. Water Treatment Plant
Our final stop on the virtual tour is the City of Las Vegas' Water Treatment Plant. Located five miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Treatment Plant is responsible for storing, cleaning, sterilizing, and transporting water to our faucets. The Gallinas River is the primary source of our water and prior to treatment, it is stored in Peterson, Bradner, and Storrie Reservoirs.
Sedimentation pond where particles settle to the bottom. A critical step in treating our water!
That's a wrap, Folks. Thank you so much for joining us!
We hope that you had as much fun as we did touring the Upper Gallinas Watershed. We covered a lot of ground during our tour and discussed many important watershed health topics. We, as individuals and as communities, play an integral role in the health of our watershed. The way we interact with streams, soil, wildlife, plants, insects, and each other, impacts how each of these components interacts with one another. Our care and attention are critical in ensuring clean, cold, and abundant water in the Upper Gallinas Watershed for generations to come. Please come back and visit us anytime!
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