Current Project

Upper Bear Gulch Erosion Control Structure Installation Project
Site 3

BOWIE, ARIZONA, USA

The primary purpose and desired outcome of this Plan are to guide installation of at least 50 rock erosion control structures for Borderlands Restoration Network’s (BRN) 2023, 2024, and 2025 summer youth program, Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY), along with workshops hosted jointly by BRN and Diamond Mountain Retreat Center (DMRC). The work described below will occur in the upper watershed of private land at DMRC, the project’s host and steward of 1,000 acres in the Dos Cabezas Mountains 120 miles east of Tucson, Arizona.

Defining the Problems and Summary of Solutions

  • Located in the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago, the Dos Cabezas Mountains feature a mix of desert and mountain ecosystems, home to diverse plant and animal species. The project aims to remediate the effects of historical land uses, such as grazing and fire suppression, by enhancing vegetation diversity.

  • The region’s geology—fault lines, slopes, and varied soils—creates ideal conditions for building erosion structures. These structures capture sediment and increase water infiltration, promoting vegetation growth. The project emphasizes collaboration among agricultural, historical, and spiritual groups, using watersheds as an organizing principle for ecological and social restoration.

  • Erosion Control Structures (ECS) slow water flow, increase soil moisture, and capture sediment, offering a cost-effective landscape restoration solution. Structures such as One-Rock Dams, Trincheras, Media Lunas, and Zuni Bowls are tailored to specific conditions. The project prioritizes six key drainages for erosion control.

  • A mature riparian forest near the main road needs protection from road runoff. The plan includes stabilizing exposed tree roots using rock and soil, safeguarding this forest, which plays an important role in the Nature Trail and broader restoration effort.

  • The plan is part of a larger effort to restore the DMRC watershed, using rock structures to manage water, support vegetation, and improve habitat connectivity. This collaborative project ensures ongoing restoration efforts that will benefit the environment and local communities in the Dos Cabezas Mountains.

Project Summary

Location: Bowie, Arizona, USA

Project Type: Erosion Control and Increased Water Infiltration above Bear Spring

The work described below is occuring in the upper watershed of private land at DMRC, the project’s host and steward of 1,000 acres in the Dos Cabezas Mountains 120 miles east of Tucson, Arizona.

Choices of drainages to work were made after extensive in-field and archival research to determine and coordinate the following variables:

  • Areas of greatest erosion control needs;

  • Availability of rock material for building;

  • ⁠Crew and tool access points;

  • Local needs of DMRC;

  • And the needs of summer youth crews from Douglas and Patagonia.

Size: 150 rock erosion control structures on 6 drainages and riparian forest protection are currently funded.

Environmental benefits:

  • Mitigate impacts of climate change and historical damage

  • Restore native vegetation and critical habitat

  • Enrich local biodiversity

  • Reduce erosion and improve soil quality

Community benefits:

  • Enhance economic viability through sustainability

  • Create local jobs

  • Educate public and youth

Grant Partners

  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

  • Borderlands Restoration Network

  • Diamond Mountain Retreat Center

Status: Active