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Corrales Bosque Preserve
The Corrales Bosque Preserve stretches the length of the east side of the Village of Corrales between the flood control levee and the Rio Grande channels.
For more than 400 years, the bosque has been available for horse riding and CHAMP is dedicated to continuing that tradition.
The Village of Corrales annexed the bosque in 1975 and since 1997 the Corrales Bosque Preserve has been managed by the village. The village prohibits organized events, commercial activities, and grazing within the preserve. The village animal control ordinance is enforced. But individual horses and riders or small informal groups of horses and riders are welcome.
Especially during the spring and early summer, the Corrales Bosque Advisory Commission and the Corrales Fire Department issue periodic advisories concerning fire danger and other matters pertaining to their management of the bosque. Many CHAMP members participate in a volunteer bosque patrol to assist local authorities with spotting fire or safety issues. In the event of a serious fire or other emergency, CHAMP is prepared to work with the village fire and police departments to evacuate horses and other animals once humans have been evacuated safely.
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A May 23, 2010, fire destroyed about 17 acres of trees and brush at the southern end of the bosque.
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In addition to the village, a number of other agencies and parties have a role in the bosque, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for flood control along the Rio Grande; the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which manages irrigation works; the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control District, which maintains side channels; the New Mexico Fish and Game Department, which manages wildlife; Sandia Pueblo, which owns and controls the east bank of the Rio Grande opposite most of Corrales; the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, which owns and utilizes substantial rights to water flowing in, under and beside the river; private landowners; and upstream and downstream water users.
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Equestrians, pedestrians and bicyclists continue to cut paths across the Corrales levee in spite of signs and barriers. Flood insurance waivers could be in jeopardy if the levee continues to deteriorate.
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In 2011, following extensive discussion with the village and its residents, the Army Corp of Engineers signaled its intention to begin some changes to the bosque in an effort to protect native plants and improve above and below surface water flows. The Corrales Bosque Advisory Commission has appointed and trained a dozen citizen monitors to make sure the Corps and its contractors stay within the agreed limits to the project. Jeff Radford, editor of the Corrales Comment, also is watching the situation closely and has published a series of articles. Here are some of the most recent::
CHAMP has taken no position on these proposals, but the CHAMP board has resolved to monitor and study them to determine the short and long term impacts to equestrian use. CHAMP has worked with the Bosque Preservation Commission and the village Equine Advisory Commission to try to discourage damage to the bosque and the levee that protects nearby property, although equestrians continue to be among those bosque users who cut unauthorized paths up the levee and into the bosque.
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