The River Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (RERI) is an opportunity to protect and restore river systems across the state. This initiative was part of Governor Richardson’s “Year of Water, 2007” legislative agenda, and is designed to sustain, re-establish and rehabilitate the integrity and understanding of New Mexico’s river ecosystems through the enhancement of physical, chemical and biological characteristics. The initiative has been funded for three years by the New Mexico State Legislature:
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$2.5 million in 2007 |
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$2.8 million in 2008 |
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$1.5 million in 2009 |
NMED first issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in May 2007. Another RFP was issued in May 2008. The third RFP was released on June 26, 2009 and sunseted at 3:00pm on Monday, August 10, 2009. All RFPs to-date have solicited work for projects that restore instream ecosystem function and watershed health to major river basins. The RFP process has provided the following examples of activities that could be funded: physical habitat restoration within a stream; enhancement of environmental flow; improvement of riparian vegetative cover for the purpose of river restoration; reduction of pollutants to rivers; promoting the hydrologic interaction between the river channel and floodplain including bank lowering; and restoring dynamic channel processes such as accretion on new banks, bar building, channel widening, and channel sinuosity. |
Statewide Map of
Project Locations |
Projects are selected from proposals submitted by entities across the state. NMED leads a technical and scientific review process that also includes representatives from the New Mexico Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources, and Game and Fish as well as the Office of the State Engineer. An emphasis is given to funding of physical projects with the ability to show tangible results and water quality improvements. Contracts are for a four-year cycle.
Distinguishing characteristics of RERI projects include: it is a physical project that restores instream ecosystem function and watershed health; it has measurable objectives and a monitoring plan to demonstrate success; it is supported by scientific studies; it is sustainable; it maximizes the conservation of biological diversity; it is collaborative and supported by stakeholders, and it includes plans for long-term maintenance.
A total of 27 RERI projects have been funded thus far.
Projects are being implemented by diverse interests: recipients include advocacy groups, watershed groups, tribes and pueblos, as well as federal, state, and local government agencies. |
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