ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Lt. Col. Matthew Miller, commander, USACE-Albuquerque District; Jacob Pauley, deputy, Planning Programs and Project Management; Jared Minor, chief, Civil Project Management Branch, and Andrew Petersen, project manager, joined representatives from the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority, and local and state officials to cut the ribbon on the Tortugas Arroyo Improvements Project, Aug. 25, 2025.
The ceremony took place at the project site, which is approximately half a mile from the intersection of NM 528 and Don Julio Ct. in the Village of Corrales, N.M. The project site abuts the city limit of Rio Rancho, N.M.
Urban stormwater runoff is the largest contributor to pollutants in the nation’s waters. The Tortugas Arroyo Improvements Project is designed to reduce environmental impacts of storm water run-off from the City of Rio Rancho Industrial Park into the Rio Grande.
The project routes stormwater runoff to the top of the Lower Montoyas Water Quality Facility which will provide pre-treatment and regular treatment of the discharge via detention, meander channel, and skimmer. It will remove floatable debris and sediment in the water. Sediment reduction will not only prevent urban runoff pollutants in sediment from reaching the river but will also allow for better downstream hydraulics by limiting sediment accumulation.
The Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) between USACE-Albuquerque District and SSCAFCA, which provided federal support for the project’s construction, was signed Dec. 16, 2024.
The project was authorized under Section 595 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999 (WRDA).