ABOUT
Photo of an acequia system in the Bosque near Candelaria Nature Preserve.
URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP
The vision for the national Urban Waters Partnership is to restore urban water quality, revitalize our communities, and reconnect communities to their urban waterways, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed.
The strategy for pursuing this vision in each partnership location is to improve coordination among federal agencies, local government and municipalities, non-profits, educational institutions, and other community-led groups to integrate efforts at a local level.
MIDDLE RIO GRANDE
The Middle Rio Grande/Albuquerque (MRG/ABQ) Urban Waters Partnership in the greater Albuquerque metropolitan area of New Mexico was established in 2013 as one of 20 EPA-designated Urban Waters locations. Like many western river ecosystems, the MRG faces numerous challenges in balancing competing needs with a finite water supply and other resource constraints. Historical practices by our ancestors and immigrants to the MRG have established the conditions that we have inherited. Long-term drought, exacerbated by climate change, is changing conditions that affect natural and human communities as we strive to improve our precious Rio Grande. The needs of our growing urban environment must be met while continuing to preserve natural systems, the agricultural economy, and the cultural practices of Pueblos and villages up and down the valley.
MRG/ABQ Urban Waters - Partnership Themes
Theme 1: Invest in Healthy Watersheds
Promote landscape level conservation and restoration
Utilize green infrastructure to manage stormwater
Emphasize everyone’s role in watershed stewardship: government, private, public, individual
Maximize natural infrastructure for healthy ecosystems
Measure results for future initiatives
Support reliable and resilient water utilities
Diversify and stretch water supplies
Transform wastewater into a resource
Pursue alternative funding and financing models
Incorporate climate resilience into utility planning
Theme 2: Engage in Education and Outreach
Engage with and hear voices from the community around watershed issues
Encourage education and engagement opportunities for all ages and audiences
Utilize community science for ecosystem monitoring and watershed restoration
Enhance community capacity to engage in water planning and governance
Encourage programs and events that help community members access, understand and appreciate their urban waterways
Educate local governments on how zoning changes can support Urban Waters initiatives
Theme 3: Facilitate Economic Revitalization and Prosperity
Foster community resilience in the face of a changing climate
Promote and invest in tourism, outdoor recreation, and conservation jobs
Encourage youth employment and training opportunities
Utilize green infrastructure to mitigate urban heat islands and revitalize neighborhoods
Encourage integration of water stewardship in corporate and agency strategies, establishing water stewardship as an essential part of operations and decision-making
Reflect Urban Waters goals in municipal planning documents and development ordinances
Create partnerships and promote sustainable agricultural systems, including urban agriculture
Leverage water investments to generate community benefits
Theme 4: Foster Active Collaboration and True Partnership
Leverage resources, share information and work collaboratively to support joint projects and objectives.
Facilitate regular and extensive stakeholder and community input and engagement
Support upstream and downstream public-private partnerships and communication
Integrate planning across the water cycle
Sustain a foundation of success by emphasizing benefits of collaboration
Networking
Sharing resources
Promoting leadership opportunities