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ABSTRACT: Soil erosion and land degradation pose serious threats to sustainable development of arid and semi-arid ecosystems. One solution, adapted from prehistoric man, is the installation of erosion control structures (ECS). Qualitatively, ECS have been found to have many more impacts on the ecosystem and varied designs are accepted by different communities of practice, yet rejected by others. The lack of quantifiable evidence, supporting or negating these findings, impedes effective water policy and hinders construction, and yet, over $1BIL per year is spent on river restoration projects in the US alone. In the Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion of the US-Mexico border, we have been researching methodology to quantify changes resulting from the installation of ECS. Methods include processing remotely-sensed imagery to monitor changes in vegetation health and geomorphology, instrumenting sites to document hydrologic and vegetative responses, analyzing soil samples and using hydrologic models to predict and extrapolate changes in water budgets around ECS. Our results document that ECS can: (i.) decrease peak flows for small-medium flood events; (ii.) increase surface-water availability, extending the seasonal flows and increasing volumes; (iii.) decrease sedimentation downstream and increase water quality; (iv.) increase OM in soils; (v.) increase soil-moisture at structures; and (vi.) decrease stress in plants and increase vegetation health. Findings are being leveraged for funding and permitting by Federal, State, and private agencies locally, to develop restoration projects and change water-policy. While beavers have already proven themselves to be “Keystone Species” for their dam-building proficiency, humans can fill this niche too. Engineering ECS can aid in the structure of an ecological community, affect ecosystem functions, and protect it from change.