Green Infrastructure

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 6

Las Cruces Dam Environmental Restoration Project

City of Las Cruces, New Mexico
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Under the authority of Section 1135 of
the Water Resources Development Act of
1986, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in
collaboration with the City of Las Cruces
finished the 1st phase of the Las Cruces
Dam Environmental Restoration Project in
the spring of 2014. The total project area
includes the restoration of 72 acres of
Chihuahuan Desert Arroyo Riparian habitat,
3.6 acres of playa habitat, 6.35 acres of
Cottonwood-Willow Riparian habitat,
and the construction of two one-acre
emergent wetland cells. The proposed
action also includes the implementation
of recreational features such as new trail
systems, improvements to existing trails,
pedestrian crossings, interpretative signage,
and wildlife viewing blinds. The City of
Las Cruces Utilities Department provided
reclaimed wastewater infrastructure for
supplementing the wetland and riparian
areas. Without this infrastructure the
constructed wetland could not function year
round in the arid southwest.

The Las Cruces Dam restoration project meets
the criteria of multi-use, open space while
incorporating many green infrastructure
methods. The goal is to slow down stormwater
runoff from major arroyo systems, the
Alameda and the North & South Las Cruces
Arroyos. Once the wetland and riparian areas
are established they will function as both a
filter and sediment trap that will help mitigate
stormwater pollution and also prevent
sediment transfer to the dam.

One major goal of this
project is to slow down and
filter stormwater runoff.

Point of Contact:

City of Las Cruces

Public Works Department
Project Development Section
700 North Main Street
Las Cruces, NM 88004

575-528-3135
http://www.las-cruces.org

&EPA

EPA Region 6 seeks to provide information and recognition for green infrastructure
United Stat~s	projects within our Region. If you would like your project featured, please contact

Environmental Protection	Suzanna Perea at 214-665-7217 or perea.suzanna@epa.gov.

Agency

-------