River Development Project Takes First Steps

The Bosque and Rio Grande river are being put up to vote on whether or not to develop these areas.  Mayor RJ Berr wants to develop these rivers into recreation areas for kayaking, swimming, and other outdoor activities.  The Mayor explains that there is not a ton of activities to do in Albuquerque, and he wants to give residents more place for outdoor recreation.

The first step in Albuquerque Mayor RJ Berry's plan to transform parts of the Bosque and Rio Grande is up for a vote at Monday's city council meeting, but not everyone is diving in.

The Rio Grande is one of the state's greatest treasures, but in the city it's rarely used for recreation and Mayor Berry wants to change that.

The Mayor wants to open the river up for kayaking, canoeing and even swimming. He believes if the city puts in the infrastructure, businesses and private developers will set up shop near the water, creating jobs and luring in tourists.

"There's not a whole lot of things to do in Albuquerque," said Jonathan Rodriguez. "I think this new plan they're doing now by the river is going to be comforting for people to come in and just have a blast together."

"We have one of the largest urban parks in America running right through the city of Albuquerque. We have a wonderful asset with the Rio Grande, and we have people that haven't been near the river in years because access is difficult," said Mayor Berry while explaining how he wants to build board walks and trails closer to the water.

But others aren't so sure, expressing concern about the river.  "It's very important. We go down there sometimes, and we love to fish. If there's a lot of people down there, there will be no more fish for the birds of prey," said Mikayla Salgado who thinks planners need to be very careful about protecting the river's ecosystem.

Monday the city council will vote on whether to approve a $150 contract for a planner to come in and create a game plan for the 10 mile stretch of the Bosque that's up for development from I-40 north to Alameda. Planners will collect public input, survey the area to generate cots and assess the wildlife.

The Mayor expects the contract to pass.


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