Agencies clear debris from Rio Grande bosque to reduce wildfire risk
Crews cleared 31 bosque sites and hauled away more than four tons of fire-risk debris in a week, targeting the Rio Bravo-to-I-40 corridor.
Crews working the Rio Grande bosque cleared 31 sites in the first week of a multiagency cleanup and removed more than four tons of debris, litter and other fire-risk materials from the river corridor between Rio Bravo Boulevard and I-40.
The stretch of bosque has seen a string of human-caused fires, including at least one confirmed arson case. Over the next several weeks, residents using the bosque will see crews and equipment in designated cleanup zones as agencies remove hazards and address unauthorized encampments while connecting unhoused people with services.
The effort brings together county and city agencies and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Mayor Tim Keller said the bosque work is meant to reduce fire risk, help firefighters respond more easily and restore native habitat.
The Rio Grande bosque through Albuquerque runs about 20 miles and covers roughly 4,300 acres, managed by the city’s Open Space Division under a joint powers agreement with MRGCD. Its long row of jetty jacks, installed beginning in the 1950s and totaling about 115,000 by 1962, still creates obstacles for firefighters moving through the forest.
Albuquerque Fire Rescue and the Albuquerque Police Department have used helicopters, drones and airboats to monitor bosque fires, and smoke-and-heat sensors detected a fire near Tingley from more than half a mile away. Residents should report smoke, suspicious activity and encampments, and fires are prohibited in the bosque.
Jetty jack removal, fuel reduction and habitat restoration are part of the prevention effort. The Bosque stewardship program aims to restore habitat, reduce wildfire risk, remove invasive species and improve water efficiency along the Rio Grande, and the district’s fire policy puts more than 2,000 acres of bosque burned in 2000.
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