ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The county is planning a big water quality project in the Northeast Heights, but some neighbors are pushing back against it worried about what the work could do to the area’s natural landscape.
Near Tramway and Paseo Del Norte, Bernalillo County wants to upgrade how water moves through the Upper La Cueva Watershed. The project, located in the Primerose Pointe neighborhood, would bring two new detention ponds to help minimize pollution in the Rio Grande.
“This project once constructed will reduce the sediment transport which will help with sediment that does build up on the roadways after storm events,” stated BernCo Technical Services Director Brian Lopez.
Plans call for the ponds to range between 5 to 12 feet deep, between Lowell and Opal Jewell Streets. The county said the ponds should also help catch floating debris that would normally rush through the arroyo, and part of the project would pave some of the natural arroyo.
“It would be the structure of it. If there’s going to be a lot of concrete, if it’s going to take away from the landscape and this and that you know,” expressed Chris Kinberger, a nearby resident.
One resident, who didn’t want to go on camera, said her home overlooks the arroyo.
“It’s extremely important to this neighborhood; we bought these homes because there’s a beautiful arroyo with clear views,” said the anonymous resident.
The county said it’s working with a landscape architect to re-seed plants and preserve landscaping.
“We are looking at ways to minimize the appearance of what we’re constructing. You know, we want to keep the aesthetics of the area as similar to what’s there,” explained Lopez.
Bernalillo County says the roughly $5.6 million project could start building in early 2025, but they still need about $600,000 to fully fund it.
