To protect the Rio Grande and manage stormwater runoff, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority signed an agreement Oct. 8 to construct the Middle Venada Water Quality Facility.
The $2.1 million facility will capture 96% of stormwater runoff from the 16-square-mile Venada watershed, preventing trash, sediment and pollutants from entering the Rio Grande. It will be located in the Venada Arroyo, on the border between Rio Rancho and Bernalillo, behind the Plaza @ Enchanted Hills shopping center near the intersection of Highway 528 and Enchanted Hills Boulevard.
Lt. Col. Matthew Miller, commander of the Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District and Dave Gatterman, executive engineer of the flood control authority, signed the agreement to construct the facility.
“I think we can all agree that, as a community, keeping the Rio Grande as clean as we possibly can is a priority,” Gatterman said.
According to Gatterman, one main goal of the project is to reduce pollutants flowing from the cities into the river. A 2009 National Research Council study found that urban areas are the largest contributors of pollutants to U.S. waterways.
Additionally, the facility will treat stormwater at the base of the Venada watershed. It will also manage sediment as it flows into the lower, more constrained part of the watershed, which flows under Highway 528.
The facility, which has been in development for four years, is expected to cost $2.1 million, Gatterman said. The Corps of Engineers will cover about 75% of the cost, up to $1.5 million, while the flood control authority will use $250,000 from state capital outlay funds, contributed by the legislative delegation, with the remaining balance covered by voter-approved bond funds. According to Miller, construction is expected to begin in January and take about six months to complete.
“Anything we can collaborate on to reduce environmental impacts from stormwater runoff is of utmost importance for us,” Miller said. “So this reduces sediment load in the water that eventually makes it to the Rio Grande, which has an interest for everyone in the country. This is kind of a smaller project with a huge impact, and one we’re proud to be a part of.”
A check dam will be installed on Rio Rancho’s side to slow water flow and prevent erosion, while the main facility will be located on the Bernalillo side. The structure will resemble a large bump in the arroyo, with a series of inverted pipes designed to trap pollutants on the upstream side, according to Gatterman.
As storms occur, the system will gradually release cleaner water downstream through a siphon effect, allowing controlled water flow over time. The facility is designed to capture floating debris typically seen during storms, preventing it from entering the river.
“We’ve got a couple of these in place already, one of them on the [Arroyo de los Montoyas] and one of them on the Black Arroyo,” Gatterman said. “They are very effective at holding these pollutants and keeping them from getting down to the river.”
With the addition of the Venada facility, three of the four major watersheds in the area will have water quality facilities, according to Gatterman. The flood control authority is working with the Army Corps to secure funding for the fourth facility, planned for La Barranca Arroyo just to the south. Once completed, all major watersheds in the region will have water quality facilities.
The project is set to go out for bid on Oct. 13.