Bernalillo County, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), and the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) are collaborating on a project to enhance the drain as a multiuse trail and community open space.

 

The Isleta Drain is a 13-mile canal and potential recreation and trail corridor running from Central Ave south to I-25. It was constructed by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District in the 1930s to drain lands with high water tables and return unused irrigation water back to the Rio Grande. The drain is still used for these purposes and to help route stormwater to the Rio Grande. Like many of the acequias and drains in the South Valley, people have used the Isleta Drain for decades as informal paths for walking, biking, horseback riding and connecting to places in the community.