Rio Grande Bosque Projects
The Latest News
The parking lot off Sunset Blvd. (SW side of Central Ave.) will be TEMPORARILY CLOSED for parking improvements. The City of Albuquerque Department of Municipal Development is filling in potholes, regrading, and resurfacing the area. The closure is anticipated to go into effect March 27 to March 30, 2025. During this time, visitors can park on the north side of Central Ave. or at the Tingley Beach parking area.
Bosque Projects
The Rio Grande Valley State Park, also referred to as the Rio Grande Bosque, runs the length of the Rio Grande through the heart of Albuquerque and includes 20 miles (4,300 acres) of a protected cottonwood gallery forest. The City of Albuquerque’s Open Space Division (OSD) manages the Rio Grande Bosque through a Joint Powers Agreement with the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. This major green belt provides vital services for the community and ecosystem, including critical water resources, carbon sequestration, cultural and historical connections, and habitat for numerous rare and iconic species. The Bosque also provides a variety of low-impact outdoor recreation activities to residents and visitors, including bird watching, hiking, biking, water sports, and education opportunities.
The Open Space Division manages the Rio Grande Bosque with the support of partners and volunteers. The OSD works to maintain and improve public access and recreation areas and conducts restoration projects year-round, including the projects listed below.
Wildfire Mitigation Updates
A 200-acre bosque wildfire mitigation project was completed in April 2024. Following this project, the Open Space Division implemented a short-term Habitat Restoration Plan and is working with partners on a longer two-year plan that should be completed in Spring 2025.
Weed Management and Wildfire Mitigation
The OSD is working with Galloping Goats to utilize a small herd of goats to graze invasive kochia and tumbleweed on a six-acre site near Tingley and Alcalde to reduce the risk of wildfire. The OSD is also working on removing dead and downed wood in the area to mitigate the risk of a wildfire near the wetland ponds and enhance habitat for Bosque wildlife.
River for Monarchs
The Open Space Division is working to expand and enhance pollinator habitat in the Bosque as part of the River for Monarchs project in partnership with the Institute for Applied Ecology and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. The project aims to restore breeding and migration habitat for the monarch butterfly. Staff, volunteers, and partners planted milkweed and other native flowering plants in a two-acre area west of the Rio Grande Nature Center along the river’s edge. Monitoring and watering efforts will continue into 2025 to ensure planting success. Learn more about River for Monarchs.
Parking lot access improvement
The Open Space Division is working with the Department of Municipal Development to improve access to the trailhead parking lot at Sunset and Central. City crews will regrade the access road and parking facility to smooth potholes and improve drainage. The trailhead parking area south of Central will be temporarily closed while workers resurface it. Additionally, the OSD will install new signs and outdoor furnishings at the parking area.
Montano Fire Restoration Project
Forestry crews will work in the Bosque, removing hazardous trees and treating invasive resprouts in the burn scar near Bosque School. The project will help to re-establish vegetation in a 15-acre area impacted by Salt cedar, Russian olive, and other invasive plants. Hazard trees will be cut and removed to mitigate risk and reduce the fuel load in the bosque. Crews will cut and chip slash and plant native seed as part of restoration work to reestablish ground cover of beneficial plant species.
Trails and access points will be temporarily closed while crews are working. Please stay out of work areas for your safety.
Rio Bravo Fire Restoration Project
The OSD is working with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps crews to assist with post-fire remediation on the southeast side of Rio Bravo. The crews are reestablishing the trials, removing slash and hazardous trees, and reseeding areas impacted by the fire.
If you'd like to volunteer to help with this project, please contact Project Coordinator Dustin Chavez-Davis, [email protected].