>> Laura: THE RIO GRANDE, THE LARGEST RIVER IN OUR STATE  WORKS SO HARD FOR US.

IT PROVIDES WATER FOR DRINKING  AND IRRIGATION AND IT ALSO TAKES OUR STORM WATER AND OUR  WASTE.

ONE PLACE YOU CAN SEE THIS  DYNAMIC AT WORK IS IN CORRALES.

AFTER A STORM, RUNOFF CHURNS DOWN THE HARVEY JONES CHANNEL  AND EVERYDAY FOUR TO FIVE MILLION GALLONS OF TREATED  WASTE WATER POUR FROM THE CITY OF RIO RANCHO INTO THE RIVER.

NOW, A NEW PROJECT IS IMPROVING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE  AND PUTTING THAT WATER TO BETTER USE FOR THE  ENVIRONMENT.

>> Hurteau: THIS AREA LEFT  UNMANAGED HAD THIS IS VERY HIGH BANK OF SEDIMENT THAT HAD  ACCUMULATED IN THIS SITE AND WAS GROWING MOSTLY INVASIVE  SPECIES.

SO, IT WASN'T CREATING AND MAINTAINING VALUABLE HABITAT  FOR WILDLIFE AS IT WAS.

AND, SO, AT THAT POINT IT IS  UP TO US TO SORT OF INTERVENE AND TRY TO RECREATE THE  PROCESSES THAT WILL ALLOW FOR NATURAL SYSTEMS TO FUNCTION  AND FLOURISH.

>> Gatterman: WE WORKED FOR A  WHILE NOW TO ELIMINATE FLOODING POTENTIAL IN THE  NORTHERN HALF OF THE VILLAGE OF CORRALES DUE TO THE HARVEY  JONES CHANNEL AND IMPOSED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS  UPSTREAM IN THE CONCRETE CHANNEL AND DONE SOME  RECONFIGURATION OF THE CHANNEL.

AND THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT HELPS US FINALLY EVACUATE ALL  OF THE WATER OUT OF THE CHANNEL AFTER A RAINSTORM.

THE ARROYO BOTTOM ARE A FANTASTIC WAY TO CONVERT STORM  WATER INTO GROUNDWATER SO A WAY TO CAPTURE AND WE INJECT  IT INTO THE GROUNDWATER AQUIFER.

>> Hurteau: WITH THE REALIGNMENT OF THE WASTEWATER  OUTFALL, REALLY, THE BENEFIT IS THAT WE ARE KEEPING THE  SOIL MICROBES ALIVE AND THAT IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS  WITH GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

THAT IS WHERE THE HEALTHY BACTERIA AND FUNGI ARE ABLE TO  CAPTURE AND BREAK DOWN THE POLLUTANTS THAT WOULD COME IN  THE STORM WATER AND SO THAT THEY CAN TRAP THOSE POLLUTANTS  AND BREAK THEM DOWN BOTH CHEMICALLY AND PHYSICALLY SO  THAT THOSE POLLUTANTS AREN'T REACHING THE RIO GRANDE AND  AFFECTING OUR BEAUTIFUL RIVER.

>> Gatterman: YOU HAVE THE  INTERSECTION OF ALL SORTS OF RESOURCES.

IN THIS CASE WE HAVE THE RIVER, WE HAVE THE HARVEY  JONES CHANNEL, WE HAVE THE SEWER EFFLUENT LINE FROM THE  CITY OF RIO RANCHO AND WE BRING ALL THOSE TOGETHER INTO  A LOCATION WHERE WE COULD HAVE THIS TYPE OF FACILITY OR THIS  TYPE OF RESTORATION OF WETLANDS AND MAKE ALL THOSE  RESOURCES WORK TOGETHER.

SO WORK WITH YOUR PARTNERS.

>> Hurteau: IT IS MY HOPE THESE AREAS BECOME BREEDING  GROUND FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES AND OTHER WILDLIFE THAT WE  HAVE HERE IN THE BOSQUE.

I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SILVERY  MINNOW THAT WERE FOUND JUST DOWNSTREAM OF WHERE WE ARE  STANDING.

SO HOPEFULLY THIS AREA WILL  BECOME A BACK WATER HABITAT AND POTENTIALLY BREEDING  HABITAT FOR THAT SPECIES AS WELL AS TONS OF OTHER BIRDS  AND WILDLIFE.

THERE IS LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY  TO REPLICATE THIS PROJECT UP AND DOWN THE RIO GRANDE,  PARTICULARLY IN PLACES WHERE YOU HAVE OUTFALL OF A  PERMANENT WATER SUPPLY THAT WILL HELP MAINTAIN THE  VEGETATION AND HEALTHY SOILS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE  NATURAL FILTERING THAT HAPPENS IN WETLANDS.