Lower Montoyas Arroyo Water Quality Features

Corrales, New Mexico

The Lower Montoyas Arroyo is a massive stormwater drainageway for the eastside of Albuquerque with the capacity to deliver thousands of gallons of water to the Rio Grande during storm events. Historically the drainageway moved tones of silt and sand from the foothills to the Rio Grande, albeit controlled by the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority (SSCAFCA) within a large holding pond. In conjunction with Wilson and Company, a series of water quality features were designed to mitigate the velocity of water during storm events, allowing suspended sediment to drop out of the water, reducing the magnitude of silt (up to 65,000 cubic yards) entering the Harvey Jones channel and, ultimately, the Rio Grande.

Unique to a project its scale, water quality features incorporate alternative structure and green components in order to slow flow, increase infiltration, screen for floatable debris and reduce sediment collection downstream. Engineered drop structures were integrated with suitable plant material to slow and clean water during flow. Existing vertical banks were sloped to encourage plant growth and bank stabilization. Large, strategically planted shelves were built less then 1 foot above the channel in order to spread water during flooding. Planted islands were established to encourage channel braiding. Areas of supplemental flow, such as a stormwater outfall structure were planted to armor banks from erosion and harvest stormwater for plants.

Team
Wilson + Co., civil engineering