AMAFCA Statement on La Orilla Outlet Water Quality Structure
August 26, 2026
The Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority is continuing maintenance and wildlife coordination at the La Orilla Outlet Water Quality Structure near the Rio Grande.
La Orilla is an AMAFCA-owned stormwater quality facility designed to capture trash and debris from stormwater before it reaches the Rio Grande. It is not a retention pond and is not intended to function as a permanent pond or wildlife habitat. The structure is designed to drain following storm events. Some water may occasionally remain in the bottom, but prolonged standing water means the facility is not draining as intended.
On Tuesday afternoon, August 25, AMAFCA crews were preparing to clean the trash racks and remove accumulated debris from the structure. The racks were heavily clogged and the facility was not draining properly.
During preparation for the work, crews were advised that wildlife was present in the remaining water. AMAFCA stopped maintenance work for the remainder of the day and coordinated with the City of Albuquerque, including Open Space and Environmental Health staff, regarding the wildlife concerns and assistance from wildlife biologists.
Wildlife biologists met AMAFCA and City staff at the site Wednesday morning. After evaluating conditions, they recommended that AMAFCA continue draining the structure. Lowering the water level and removing debris are necessary both to restore the facility to its intended function and to allow wildlife professionals to safely locate and relocate animals remaining in the structure.
As of Wednesday evening, approximately eight to ten turtles, primarily red-eared sliders, and several bullfrogs had been captured and relocated. Red-eared sliders and bullfrogs are non-native species in New Mexico. No dead or injured wildlife had been found, no other wildlife had been observed by AMAFCA staff or the wildlife professionals working at the site, and reports of a beaver at the structure had not been confirmed.
AMAFCA employees do not capture, handle, or transport wildlife because our staff are not trained for animal handling. AMAFCA crews are responsible for maintaining the facility and operating the equipment, while wildlife professionals handle the animals.
The wildlife relocation effort is not yet complete, and additional animals may be encountered as water levels are lowered and accumulated debris is removed.
AMAFCA crews will return to the site Thursday morning. Debris removal will not begin until wildlife biologists are on site. Where practical, crews will work with excavation equipment from outside the structure to minimize equipment activity inside the facility. Some interior work will ultimately be necessary to remove remaining sediment and debris.
The temporary dirt ramp into the facility will remain in place during the work because it provides necessary access for both maintenance activities and wildlife personnel.
AMAFCA will maintain a safety perimeter around operating equipment. Public and media observation will be allowed from safe locations, although access may be temporarily restricted as necessary for equipment movement and worker safety.
Water is currently being pumped downstream of the structure so it can continue along its normal drainage path toward the Rio Grande. AMAFCA is using a small pump in an effort to move the water while leaving accumulated debris in the structure for removal.
Once wildlife relocation is complete, crews will remove the remaining sediment and debris, clean the structure, and reinstall the trash racks.
AMAFCA is also evaluating longer-term options to improve drainage from the facility and reduce the likelihood of prolonged standing water in the future. Those options may include additional drainage openings or a dedicated drainage gate. No final decision has been made.
Current conditions along the bosque and Rio Grande are exceptionally dry. Those conditions have likely contributed to wildlife using the limited water remaining in the structure, even though the facility was not designed or intended to provide permanent wildlife habitat.
AMAFCA is coordinating with City of Albuquerque Open Space and Environmental Health to explore temporary options that may help wildlife during these unusually dry conditions without creating conditions that could trap wildlife or interfere with the facility’s stormwater quality function.
Leaving the facility clogged is also not a sustainable solution. Prolonged standing water is creating water-quality concerns, and a clogged structure cannot perform the job it was designed to do. AMAFCA collected water-quality samples Wednesday, and laboratory results are pending. The clogged structure may also overflow during high-flow events.
“We understand why people are concerned. The bosque and river are under extraordinary stress from these dry conditions, and people care deeply about the wildlife that depends on them. We care too,” said Paula Dodge-Kwan, P.E., AMAFCA Director of Operations and Maintenance.
“Our responsibility is to look at the health and safety of the entire system. That includes the wildlife currently using the structure, the people who live in our jurisdiction, our neighbors at Sandia Pueblo and Isleta Pueblo, and the other species that depend on the Rio Grande corridor.
“We have to maintain this facility so it continues keeping trash and debris out of the river. At the same time, we want to do everything we reasonably can to protect the wildlife we encounter while we do that work. I have been on site with our crews and City staff throughout this response and will continue to be there. If conditions change, we will adjust as needed.”
AMAFCA currently anticipates completing the work by late this week or early next week, depending on site conditions and what crews and wildlife professionals encounter as the structure is cleaned.