The isleta reach stewardship association (IRSA), a program of the new mexico riparian council, was established in 2019 and comprises professionals with many decades of experience in restoration…

The University of New Mexico received a $162,793 Project Grant from the Bureau of Reclamation under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (CFDA 15.517) awarded on September 16, 2025, with completion targeted for September 30, 2028. In partnership with the Isleta Reach Stewardship Association (IRSA), a program of the New Mexico Riparian Council, the university will execute the Lo Lunas River Mile 163 River Maintenance Project within the Middle Rio Grande Bosque ecosystem in New Mexico. Key deliverables include comprehensive monitoring and assessment of vegetation, inundation levels, groundwater depth, and impacts of phosphate addition at the project site.

The award funds native tree replanting and monitoring activities along the project impact area to restore riparian habitat and improve ecosystem health in the Isleta Reach. IRSA, staffed by restoration professionals with decades of experience in bosque management, will apply community science-based approaches to support the project activities. The funding supports habitat improvement work directly tied to Bureau of Reclamation water systems, consistent with the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act program's mission to enhance fish and wildlife habitat associated with Reclamation projects.

The isleta reach stewardship association (IRSA), a program of the new mexico riparian council, was established in 2019 and comprises professionals with many decades of experience in restoration project planning, implementation, management and monitoring in the middle RIO grande bosque.IRSA utilizes a community science-based approach to improve the health of the isleta reach of the bosque through communication and education, monitoring and maintenance of restoration projects established by agencies within the reach and identification and implementation of new restoration projects and water management strategies that address underserved parts of the ecosystem. The recipient, working with IRSA, will work on the LO lunas river mile 163 river maintenance project (including vegetation, inundation, depth to groundwater, and impacts of phosphate addition) and replant native trees along the project impact area and monitor success.