Image Credit CanineComrad
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A video circulating on social media is drawing attention to a trash rack near Coors Boulevard and La Orilla Road Northwest, where debris, standing water and wildlife are collecting.
The Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, or AMAFCA, says it is working with multiple agencies, including Albuquerque Open Space and a wildlife biologist, to safely remove animals from the area.
Officials say crews are relocating frogs and turtles found inside the trash rack. A beaver that had been using the area has since moved on.
According to AMAFCA, crews place dirt in the channel to push water upward and improve access for wildlife rescue efforts.
Officials say the ongoing dry conditions leave the trash rack as one of the few locations in the area with standing water, attracting animals looking for water and shelter.
The structure is designed to capture debris and prevent trash from reaching the Rio Grande. AMAFCA says the trash rack is routinely cleaned, but the standing water creates an unexpected habitat for wildlife.
To help prevent similar situations in the future, the agency plans to install drainage holes that will allow water to move through the structure more efficiently and reduce pooling.
Wildlife relocation and cleanup efforts are continuing. In the meantime, officials are asking people not to enter the trash rack or attempt to remove animals themselves because of potential safety risks, including injury and disease exposure.
