Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 4-21-25
What is the Corrales Interior Drain?
The Corrales Interior Drain (CID) is an approximately 2-mile-long drainage ditch that runs through Corrales from Valverde Road to the north and the Corrales Riverside Drain (aka Clear Ditch) to the south. The property covers approximately 26 acres over its length and is an average width of 120 feet. The property serves as an important wildlife corridor and the roads along the drain are used regularly by village residents for property access, recreation, getting to school, and wildlife viewing.
Who owns and maintains the Interior Drain?
The drain is owned by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD). In 2023, MRGCD and the Village of Corrales entered into a Joint Powers Agreement, which established the portion of the Drain located between Station 21 and the northern terminus of the Drain at approximately Station 91 as the Corrales Interior Drain Preserve. The agreement transferred the management, operations, and maintenance of the Preserve to the Village.
What is the purpose of the Corrales Interior Drain?
The Corrales Interior Drain was built in the 1930’s to lower groundwater, drain waterlogged soils, and reclaim land for farming. The drain also helped to return irrigation water to the Rio Grande. However, the ditch has not functioned as intended for several decades.
Can the water flow be restored to the Corrales Interior Drain?
The Interior Drain was created to support drainage of water-logged soils rather than for irrigation. This means that water flows through the drain in relationship to the height of the water table. Now that the water table is lower, there is less water in the drain at any given time.
Is the Corrales Interior Drain impacted by the broken siphon?
The siphon takes water and directs it towards acequias or irrigation ditches, not towards drainage ditches such as the Corrales Interior Drain.
What is the purpose of the Corrales Interior Drain Master Plan?
The Village is seeking community input during the Corrales Interior Drain Master Plan process to re-envision the drain for safe, enjoyable and essential public use while maintaining tranquility for adjacent residents. The goal of the planning process is to identify improvements that could:
- enhance safety, particularly for low impact use such as walking, biking, and horseback riding
- Limiting vehicular access while supporting emergency vehicle access to properties and fire management
- enhance wildlife habitat and provide access to nature and wildlife viewing
- maintain drainage function and manage stormwater
How has the community been involved?
The Corrales Interior Drain Preserve Master Plan has been developed with input from residents, Village staff, and elected leaders.
- Outreach Committee – an outreach committee was formed to provide oversight for the outreach and visioning process. 9 community members participated in monthly outreach committee meetings
- Multi-modal tour – October 6th, 2-5pm, Corrales Interior Drain
- Community conversation – November 6th, 6-7:30, Corrales Council Chambers
- Commission & Organization presentations – Kiwanis Club; Bike, Ped, Trails Commission, Equestrian Advisory Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission
- Online Survey – More than 180 respondents (primarily Corrales residents) provided answers to questions about how the drain is used and priorities for improvements.
What have we heard so far?
The Interior Drain is an important place for village residents. Residents and neighbors would like to see the area improved while maintaining tranquility for neighbors of the drain property. It is important to maintain the rural character and feel of the property and prioritize its use for village residents. Improving safety and accessibility while maintaining security and privacy are priorities.
How will community engagement inform the plan?
Master Plan recommendations are built from a clear understanding of emergency access requirements and residential access routes; sound knowledge of ecological conditions and opportunities; response to community requests and concerns; and balance with Village management practices.
What is the timeline for the planning process?
The planning process will take place between fall 2024 and spring 2025. The plan document should be complete by summer 2025.
What will be the outcome of the planning process?
The outcome of the planning process will be a master plan document which will help guide future land use for the property. The document will include:
- Master Site Plan
- Overall Access Plan
- Typical treatment guidelines for different sections of the drain
- Visualizations
- Management Recommendations
- Implementation Recommendations
- Proposed phasing
- Rough cost projections and funding sources
Will the Village fill in the ditch?
There are many things to consider regarding the option to fill in portions of the drain. The Village may consider filling in small portions to accommodate slight roadway/crossing realignments to create safer access to and from homes. Additionally, side slopes of the drain may be filled to reduce the severity of the slope, supporting revegetation and slope stabilization and mitigating erosion issues.
Could the Village create a pond or other water feature to make the property feel like it did in the past?
To create a pond or water feature, the Village would need to get surface water rights from the MRGCD that are not included in the JPA. It is likely not possible to create a pond or water feature without supplemental water due to lowered groundwater levels. The JPA requires that the Village maintain the drainage function of the CID and thus it does not allow increased inflows or the storage of water in the drain.
How will the Village maintain improvements to the drain area?
Maintenance and management recommendations will be made as part of the master planning process and will be directly related to the scope and scale of proposed improvements. The project team will be working very closely with Village staff to understand their maintenance capacity. Any proposed improvements will need to align with current capacity, or recommendations for increasing capacity within budget limitations will need to be considered.
Will there be rules for the use of the CID and how will they be enforced?
All Village rules and regulations that currently apply to Village property will apply to the CID area. Development of any additional appropriate rules and regulations specific to the CID is an important part of the master planning process. These may include requirements specific to the use of certain parts of the trail, hours of use, noise limitations, or others. The Village would like to hear from you regarding what types of rules and/or regulations should be considered. As always, in the Village, it’s important to be a responsible neighbor and See it, Hear it, Report it!