A flood emergency for Bonito Lake and its watershed was declared by the Alamogordo City Commission during its Nov. 3 meeting.
Bonito Lake, just north of Ruidoso, is owned by the City of Alamogordo and is a major water source.
The primary purpose of declaring an emergency for the lake was to open up state funding that would not otherwise be available, city manager Robert Stockwell said.
“The declaration would allow the City to formally document the ongoing emergency,” an agenda item by city Utilities director Dave Nunnelley said, “and request State or federal assistance or reimbursement that may become available for sediment and debris removal, repairs, watershed stabilization, source-water protection, and related recovery work.”
Nunnelley said that seeking outside funding was the only way forward, “unless we just want to keep throwing our local money at it.”
He called it the fiscally-responsible thing for the city to do.
Otero County declared a flood emergency for similar reasons on Oct. 26. Read Alamogordo News’ coverage here: https://alamogordonews.com/flood-emergency-declared-in-otero-county/
Bonito lake has not been immune to the heavy storm season in southern New Mexico.
“Repeated rain events over the wildfire burn scars have resulted in significant sediment and debris entering the sedimentation ponds and Bonito Lake Reservoir,” the agenda item said.
The frequency of rain which sends sediment towards the lake has been a challenge, Nunnelly said.
“It’s just ongoing and ongoing and ongoing,” he said.
The area’s sedimentation ponds, basins designed to capture runoff and debris before they reach Bonito Lake, are filling quickly.
While there is currently a city contractor working to remove sediment from these ponds, “continued runoff is filling the ponds at or near the rate they can be cleaned,” the agenda item said.
“What the contractor was hired to go up there to do – clean up the one sedimentation pond and then move over to the other one – he keep having to go back to the first one,” Nunnelley said.
District 1 Commissioner Baxter Patillo asked what projects would be pursued if funding could be secured.
“We’re looking into putting a more permanent sedimentation system into place,” Nunnelley said, “and a plan to continuous excavate them, instead of always being reactive to rain events.”
The declaration passed 7-0.
Otero Commission News
1.At least five general contractors are considering making a bid to construct the city’s $12 million Aquatic Center, city manager Robert Stockwell said. Seventy-nine questions have been submitted by potential bidders about the plans, and the city is preparing answers.
2.The commission heard a presentation from Angel Chapman-McDavid, the CEO of BASE community youth center.
The group, formerly the Boys and Girls Club of Otero County, changed its affiliation last November, Chapman-McDavid said.
“The decision was made, basically, to be more community focused,” she said. “And to not have some of the conflicts that come about being a part of the Boys and Girls Club of America.”
BASE offers before-school care, after-school care, and other programming to children up to 13 years old. They are open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
BASE will be holding a major fundraiser on Dec 3, Chapman-McDavid said, auctioning off Christmas Trees at First American Bank.
“If you stop at First American Bank anytime now, the trees are up,” she said, “and they are fabulous!”
Mayor Sharon McDonald thanked Chapman-McDavid for her presentation.
“I just hope that when I come to make a bid this year,” McDonald said, “I can win.”
