Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Middle Rio Grande (Albuquerque, N. Mex.) Active
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.)
- Overview
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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details(Left to right) Rio Grande stream gage, staff gage, and weather gage at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsUSGS New Mexico Water Science Center employees, Christina Bryant and Alanna Jornigan, at the Valle de Oro Build Your Refuge Day on September 29, 2018. 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.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsStakeholder 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
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsMore 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.)
- Science
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.)
The Harlem and Bronx Rivers provide ecological and social resources in an intensively urban area. Connecting people to rivers requires clean water—the USGS is helping to assess the efficacy of green infrastructure to improve the quality of stormwater that flows into the rivers.Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Little Calumet River (Northwest Indiana)
The USGS works with a wide range of cooperators to investigate many aspects of water quality. The newly integrated USGS Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center is assisting in furthering urban water-quality research in Northwest Indiana.Urban Waters Federal Partnership - Suspended Sediment and Nutrient Delivery to the Gulf of Mexico
Suspended sediment and nutrients from greater San Antonio can affect instream ecological health of the San Antonio River and ultimately impact Gulf of Mexico bays and estuaries. Real-time monitoring in urban and rural parts of the river basin may provide a glimpse into the importance of urban sediment and nutrient sources. Real-time sensors provide a tool to better understand and manage water...Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Patapsco Watershed (Baltimore, Md. region)
Several watersheds in the Baltimore region have elevated PCB loads in tidal waters. Local jurisdictions are responsible for reducing PCB loading from their watersheds. The USGS is embarking on a pilot study in the Patapsco watershed that will help determine sources of PCBs and will demonstrate innovative monitoring and analysis techniques for more efficient use of mitigation resouces.Urban Waters Federal Partnership—Middle Blue River Basin (Kansas City, Mo.)
Reconnecting people and water is an increasingly important goal in many urban areas. Parks, urban trails, boat ramps, and urban agriculture all are ways that an urban population can interact with nature and improve quality of life. USGS is participating in gathering the information that will make these projects possible. - Multimedia