New Mexico's waterways, including the Santa Fe River, have been the lifeblood for human development in the state. Now rivers, once dependent only on nature's largesse, need help from humans to survive and thrive, advocates say.

Craig Sponholtz, head of Dryland Solutions in Santa Fe, will talk about how humans can help rivers from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Nancy Rodriguez Community Center, which is between the Agua Fría Fire Station and La Familia Medical Center. Sponholtz's talk, "Restoring our Rivers: Watershed Practices for a Healthier Community," is one of a series of discussions and hands-on projects in the next couple of weeks regarding watershed restoration.

Sponholtz has worked with the city, the Santa Fe Watershed Association, nonprofit groups and half a dozen ranchers around the state to stabilize stream banks, slow down fast-moving stormwater and river flows.

His talk Thursday will cover managing stormwater to benefit rivers from large landscapes to backyard downspouts. "It is kind of looking at runoff as a resource instead of a problem, which is the way we see it now," Sponholtz said by cell phone on his way to work with a Wagon Mound rancher on a stream-restoration project.

One way to restore the Santa Fe River and to reduce erosion from fast-moving stormwater that dumps out of culverts into arroyos is through managing the flow with natural rock works and plants, he said.

The Santa Fe River and arroyos that feed into it drain water off city streets with culverts and drains. Sponholtz said it is fairly clear water with little sediment. "Basically it's hungry water that wants to pick up sediment," he said. "All that clear water running off the streets actually causes a lot of erosion. That's the natural process of water."

Sponholtz also will talk about the years of volunteer effort on the San Ysidro Crossing in the Santa Fe River and a hands-on volunteer work days this weekend to stabilize the banks. Volunteers will learn simple, practical techniques that can be used to cultivate water, prevent erosion and support plants on their on their own land.

Contact Staci Matlock at 986-3055 or smatlock@sfnewmexican.com.