Los Amigos de valles caldera
Climate Change Challenge: bigger, hotter fires
Grant Award: $170,000; Year Awarded: 2016
The Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico have suffered from many severe wildfires in the last several decades due to increased severity of drought and increased evapotranspiration due to the impacts of climate change. The most damaging long-term effect of these wildfires is post-fire flooding. Los Amigos de Valles Caldera will construct wetland restoration projects either before or after wildfire mitigates the post-fire flood events, creating acres of wetlands that filter nutrients and store water for release later into the springtime to assist these ecosystems in adapting to climate change.