Rio Rancho crews remove hazardous bosque trees near Willow Creek

Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue’s Wildland Division began removing hazardous trees in the Willow Creek Bosque on June 22, and the work will continue through July 5. The department said the dead trees near hiking trails had become dangerous in prolonged dry conditions, and crews were also running fire patrols as they worked.

People using the bosque near Willow Creek Road and Hwy 528 were warned to expect personnel and equipment in the area and to stay out of active work zones. Because the operation runs past the Fourth of July holiday period, visitors headed to the trails over the next several days could run into temporary disruptions in the open-space corridor.

The city lists Willow Creek Bosque as an open-space area at Willow Creek Road near Hwy 528 and WillowCreek, with two trail options: the .78-mile Willow Creek Trail and the 1.72-mile North Loop Trail. The site description also notes a bird blind, dog-friendly features, benches, wildlife habitat viewing locations and no lighting or public facilities, details that help define where crews are working and where visitors are most likely to see activity.

Officials said the wood from the operation will be available to the public soon, so the project is not only clearing danger from the bosque but also making use of material removed from the site. The department framed the effort as public risk reduction, aimed at limiting the chance of falling-tree injuries and cutting down fire-related hazards in a heavily used outdoor area.

The work also fit into a longer management approach for the Rio Rancho Bosque Open Space. The city’s Bosque Open Space Integrated Management Plan, prepared in June 2015, was designed to guide future work around restoration, recreation, education, preservation and maintenance. That framework helps explain why tree removal and patrols are part of regular land management in an area that serves both as neighborhood open space and as wildfire-prone terrain.

The Willow Creek corridor has already been a focus for that kind of preventive work. In October 2025, Rio Rancho Fire and Rescue said it was starting tree-thinning operations in the Willow Creek Bosque as phase one of five, in collaboration with New Mexico State Forestry and other city agencies. In July 2025, the department said a bosque fire in the Willow Creek area was contained to one-quarter acre, and the Wildland Division stayed on scene to address hazard trees.

The city says its Fire and Rescue Department has 146 personnel, and its Fire Marshal’s Office handles fire inspections, investigations, plan reviews and public education. That staffing gives the bosque work added weight as Rio Rancho tries to reduce risk before hotter, drier conditions make the area more vulnerable.