2 Rio projects to help endangered species

The state will start two projects this month to improve habitat conditions along the Rio Grande for the endangered silvery minnow and Southwestern willow flycatcher. The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission projects are near the Central bridge on Albuquerque’s West Side and at the North Beach area and Willow Creek Bosque Park in Rio Rancho. The silvery minnow and the Southwestern willow flycatcher are federally classified as endangered species and are an integral part of the area’s ecosystem. The projects will help the commission comply with the federal Endangered Species Act, senior hydrologist Grace Haggerty said. Creation of habitat areas in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque have helped protect the fish, especially during times of drought, without adding more water to the river. The projects will provide ponds or pools of water where the minnow can spawn and their offspring can mature...more

Total cost of the two projects is $657,000.