Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Middle Rio Grande (Albuquerque, N. Mex.)
Water for People
Gauging the effects of habitat restoration
The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, just 7 miles south of downtown Albuquerque on the Rio Grande, will reconnect people, especially young people, with nature in this highly populated area. The USGS is gathering data that will help gauge the success of habitat restoration efforts.
The Valle de Oro is the Southwest’s first Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Irrigated fescue and alfalfa farm fields are being restored to diverse floodplain habitats, including seasonal wetlands, bosque, grasslands, and upland habitats.
To help gauge the success of habitat restoration, the USGS is collecting data on the quality of surface water and groundwater at the refuge prior to restoration activities. Data collection will continue during the restoration. Establishing baseline for pre-restoration water quality and comparing it to water quality post-restoration will allow evaluation of the effects of habitat restoration activities on surface-water and groundwater quality.
Similar baseline data collection by the USGS also is ongoing at the Albuquerque South Valley Community Commons’ McEwen Pond, where the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is partnering with First Choice Community Healthcare, Bernalillo County, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, and the Environmental Protection Agency to help build an urban ecosystem in the South Valley and revitalize a 4-acre lot near McEwen Pond.
After 3 years of data collection at the two sites, the project will be assessed to determine if and what data collection will continue, or if interpretive work is needed.
The USGS is participating in various community outreach events, such as the Build Your Own Refuge Day, and supplying education materials for kiosks in the planned Visitors Center.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, Bernalillo County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Stakeholder Quote
The data collected on the refuge helps inform management decisions on restoration of Middle Rio Grande Habitats and education and community engagement programs throughout Albuquerque’s South Valley.
— Jennifer Owen-White, Refuge Manager, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
More about other Urban Waters Federal Partnership projects
- Little Calument River (Northwest Indiana)
- Bronx and Harlem River Watersheds (New York, N.Y.)
- San Antonio River Basin (Bexar County, Tex.)
- Patapsco Watershed (Baltimore, Md. Area)
- Middle Blue River Basin (Kansas City, Mo.)
Learn about other Urban Waters Federal Partnership projects at the links below.
Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Bronx and Harlem River Watersheds (New York, N.Y.)
Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Little Calumet River (Northwest Indiana)
Urban Waters Federal Partnership - Suspended Sediment and Nutrient Delivery to the Gulf of Mexico
Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Patapsco Watershed (Baltimore, Md. region)
Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Middle Blue River Basin (Kansas City, Mo.)
The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, just 7 miles south of downtown Albuquerque on the Rio Grande, will reconnect people, especially young people, with nature in this highly populated area. The USGS is gathering data that will help gauge the success of habitat restoration efforts.
The Valle de Oro is the Southwest’s first Urban National Wildlife Refuge. Irrigated fescue and alfalfa farm fields are being restored to diverse floodplain habitats, including seasonal wetlands, bosque, grasslands, and upland habitats.
To help gauge the success of habitat restoration, the USGS is collecting data on the quality of surface water and groundwater at the refuge prior to restoration activities. Data collection will continue during the restoration. Establishing baseline for pre-restoration water quality and comparing it to water quality post-restoration will allow evaluation of the effects of habitat restoration activities on surface-water and groundwater quality.
Similar baseline data collection by the USGS also is ongoing at the Albuquerque South Valley Community Commons’ McEwen Pond, where the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is partnering with First Choice Community Healthcare, Bernalillo County, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, and the Environmental Protection Agency to help build an urban ecosystem in the South Valley and revitalize a 4-acre lot near McEwen Pond.
After 3 years of data collection at the two sites, the project will be assessed to determine if and what data collection will continue, or if interpretive work is needed.
The USGS is participating in various community outreach events, such as the Build Your Own Refuge Day, and supplying education materials for kiosks in the planned Visitors Center.
The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, Bernalillo County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Stakeholder Quote
The data collected on the refuge helps inform management decisions on restoration of Middle Rio Grande Habitats and education and community engagement programs throughout Albuquerque’s South Valley.
— Jennifer Owen-White, Refuge Manager, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge
More about other Urban Waters Federal Partnership projects
- Little Calument River (Northwest Indiana)
- Bronx and Harlem River Watersheds (New York, N.Y.)
- San Antonio River Basin (Bexar County, Tex.)
- Patapsco Watershed (Baltimore, Md. Area)
- Middle Blue River Basin (Kansas City, Mo.)
Learn about other Urban Waters Federal Partnership projects at the links below.