Nagler et al. test the assumption that removing saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) will save water and create environments more favourable to these native species. They compared sap flux measurements of water used by native species in contrast to saltcedar, and compared soil salinity, ground water depth and soil moisture across a gradient of 200–1500 m from the river's edge on a floodplain terrace at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR). On-site measurements of water use and soil and aquifer properties confirmed that although saltcedar grows in areas where salinity has increased much better than native shrubs and trees, rates of transpiration are similar.
Nagler, P.L., Morino, K., Didan, K., Erker, J., Osterberg, J., Hultine, K.R. and Glenn, E.P., 2009. Wide‐area estimates of saltcedar (Tamarix spp.) evapotranspiration on the lower Colorado River measured by heat balance and remote sensing methods. Ecohydrology: Ecosystems, Land and Water Process Interactions, Ecohydrogeomorphology, 2(1), pp.18-33.