Projects aim to control floods, protect residents
County authority secures arroyo banks, offers online info on rainfall
In the deserts of New Mexico, heavy summer rains can have unpredictable and dangerous effects on the shifting, sandy landscape.
The local weather service predicts an active monsoon season, with intense localized storms. June through September is the time when flood events are most likely to occur.
“It’s important to remember that, with the localized nature of these storms, it may be sunny where you are and stormy somewhere else,” said Executive Engineer Chuck Thomas of the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority.
He said sunny skies can lull people into a false sense of security, leaving them unprepared to face rushing torrents of storm water that travel rapidly through arroyos with no warning signs.
SSCAFCA, which recently completed the Lower Montoyas Water Quality Facility, is pioneering several innovative projects this summer to protect county residents from potentially hazardous area flooding.
The Montoyas Bank Stabilization Project, a pilot program, is designed to secure an 800-foot stretch of arroyo bank downstream of Broadmoor and just above the Rio Rancho Sports Complex Dam at Loma Vista Drive.
The first of its type, the project aims to prevent sandy arroyo walls from shifting or caving in, using natural methods that will preserve the arroyo in its natural state.
“Arroyo banks have a tendency to move,” said Thomas, noting that the particular arroyo bank in question has been threatening local homes.
SSCAFCA has high hopes for the project and plans similar constructions in the future.
“It’s the first of many that we expect to complete,” Thomas said.
The Bosque de Bernalillo project, a partnership of SSCAFCA and the town of Bernalillo, aims to control overflow from the Rio Grande. The project is located on the west side of the Rio Grande near Sheriff’s Posse Road in Bernalillo.
The construction will divert the first rush of overflowing storm water from the river into an open area. SSCAFCA hopes to convert the open area into a multipurpose space with amenities such as walking paths and picnic spots. The planned area will also preserve nature and create habitats for local wildlife.
Thomas also announced that SSCAFCA recently created a new online tool to give people access to information on local rainfall and flooding.
The live area map displays rainfall totals and is freely accessible at sccafca.org/ rain.
“It’s important to be safe,” Thomas said, concerning the hazards of walking or jogging around empty arroyos. “We’d prefer to see joggers up on the banks of the arroyo.”