Current Projects
Detailed Floodplain Mapping for the Village of Ruidoso, NM
This effort will provide detailed and updated floodplain mapping for the Village of Ruidoso in southern NM, a co-priority for the NM Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). The current Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) was developed in 2011. Since then, hydrographic features of the Village of Ruidoso have changed significantly. The previously developed FIRMs no longer represent the actual flooding in the area and several urban areas are regularly undergoing flooding problems. In addition to the Village, partners include USACE, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and DHSEM. Regulatory floodplain maps will be developed using a vast database of existing data collected by the Village and the State. The Village plans to submit a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) after the model and maps are completed.
New Mexico Dam Risk Assessment Standard Operating Procedure
The collaborative effort will develop a comprehensive Risk Assessment Plan and Standard Operating Procedure for locally owned dams in the State’s Jurisdictional Dam Portfolio. This effort will bring together federal, state, and local partners, using the Las Cruces Dam owners and operators as the pilot team. The State is interested in potential applying this plan to all dams in the Portfolio and to justify funding local dam owners to conduct assessments in the future. If adopted, the plan will be applied across the State's Dam Safety Bureau Portfolio, which includes almost 300 local dams, 175 of which are currently considered "high hazard".
Other Activities
Flood Plain Management Plans
Floodplain management plans were created for the Pueblo of Tesuque, Ohkay Owingeh, the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District. The plans evaluate existing drainage conditions and seek to provide a generalized set of recommendations to support flood risk reduction along multiple roadways, residential and agricultural areas.
Community Outreach
- Sand-bag training led by SPA Office of Emergency Management at Mescalero Apache Pueblo. The training focuses primarily on teaching community members proper sandbag filling techniques and applications.
- Approximately 200 ‘Turn Around Don’t Drown Signs’ were distributed to counties around New Mexico.