The albuquerque-bernalillo county water utility authority (water authority) will reconnect approximately 11 acres of floodplain habitat along 1,900 linear feet of the RIO grande approximately five…

The albuquerque-bernalillo county water utility authority (water authority) will reconnect approximately 11 acres of floodplain habitat along 1,900 linear feet of the RIO grande approximately five miles south of downtown albuquerque, new mexico. The water authority operates the southside wastewater reclamation plant (SWRP), which treats approximately 55 million gallons of wastewater per day. The land surrounding the outfall is part of the RIO grande valley state park and is jointly owned by middle RIO grande conservancy district and the bureau of reclamation. High-quality treated effluent is then released to the RIO grande via an outfall channel on the east bank of the river. The project will reconnect the RIO grande to its floodplain by excavating the banks, allowing water to stretch across the floodplain, restoring the rivers natural hydraulic processes and enhancing and adding 2.2 acres of expanded floodplain habitat for the endangered RIO grande silvery minnow. Bank stabilization measures, including rootwad revetments, native revegetation, and soil encapsulated lifts, will be installed at the base of the newly excavated floodplain terraces to provide bank stability, promote hydraulic mixing of the high quality SWRP outfall water with sediment-loaded river water, and increase instream habitat availability. The project will also integrate public recreation access through the restoration area with the installation of public interpretive trails. The project is widely supported by state and local government entities.