Riparian Conservation Opportunity Areas

Welcome to the Upper Rio Grande Riparian Ecological Assessment Project, a collaboration between Natural Heritage New Mexico and the National Wildlife Federation.

The project goal is to maintain and enhance riparian connectivity in the Upper Rio Grande for wildlife populations, especially in the face of climate change

To support this goal, we developed a portfolio of Riparian Conservation Opportunity Areas (RCOAs) that are a combination of Large Riparian Natural Areas and adjacent Potential Restoration Areas that can serve as place-based anchors to support conservation planning and actions (see Project Summary).

RCOA Examples Explore the RCOA Map
RCOA examples RCOA ratings map
Española Valley Base Map: NMRipMap produced by NHNM based on 2016 NAIP imagery

RCOA Ratings

•There are 400+ RCOAs in the Upper Rio Grande Basin.
•Each is rated from A down to D based on the amount of natural area, biodiversity, and restoration potential.

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