The Rio Grande Bosque has been a crucial ecological and cultural component for the Pueblo of Sandia for about one thousand years. The river and the vegetation communities it supports are important sources of plants and animals on which the Pueblo of Sandia relies. However, this riparian ecosystem has undergone dramatic degradation in the past century due to flood control, water diversions, drought, and other human-caused and environmental factors. These changes have reduced flows in the Rio Grande, eliminated floods that used to occur in the bosque that created important wildlife habitat, and facilitated encroachment by non-native plants such as saltcedar, Russian olive, and other non-native vegetation. In order to restore native species and native wildlife habitat, the Pueblo of Sandia has undertaken a series of measures aimed at reducing non-native vegetation and restoring native species. Implementation of the Proposed Action would satisfy the Pueblo of Sandia’s management goals to reestablish a relict river channel.

This project is funded by the Collaborative Program through Reclamation. The purpose of the project is to create a high-water flow channel that would serve as spawning and rearing habitat for the RGSM and potentially provide habitat for the Flycatcher, and other riparian wildlife─an important component of the stated goals of the Collaborative Program. The need for the Proposed Action is to satisfy federal requirements under the Biological Opinion (USFWS 2003) for Reclamation’s Water and River Maintenance Operations, the USACE’s Flood Control Operations, and Related Non-Federal Actions on the Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico 2003 (USFWS 2003). Specifically, there is a need to fulfill Element S in the Biological Opinion to establish 1,600 acres of habitat for the RGSM and the flycatcher.

Public comments are due by close of business December 31,2007 to Charles Fischer. For more information contact: Charles Fischer, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 462-3656, cfischer@uc.usbr.gov.