La Orilla Advocacy Project
This bilingual civic-action project documents reported filling and wildlife removal at the La Orilla waterway in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Review the evidence, examine official legal sources, find the appropriate public agencies, and use prepared complaint letters to request factual findings and agency action.
La Orilla Advocacy Project
A trash-filled ditch in Albuquerque, New Mexico became a refuge during drought for beaver, turtles, birds, and frogs. Heavy equipment began filling it while animals were still there. Now animals are reportedly being captured and relocated—possibly without the required permits, qualified handlers, or humane plan. Some may already have died; others may perish from filling, dewatering, burial, injury, stress, or an unsafe move. Help demand an immediate accounting, proof of legal authority, and protection for every animal still at La Orilla.
The filling appears to have proceeded without publicly available evidence of a proper hydrologic survey, wildlife survey, habitat assessment, water-quality assessment, or review of impacts to connected waterways. Because the site is close to the Rio Grande watershed, it may threaten protected native species, including the Rio Grande silvery minnow, and may contaminate its habitat through changes to water quality, sediment, or runoff. This requires field and water-quality verification.
As stewards of the environment, we find the filling of this waterway over living creatures unacceptable.