Tijeras Arroyo Use Attainability Analysis

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, (NTESS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under contract DE-NA0003525.

Between 2018 and 2023 NTESS and DOE conducted a UAA for the Rio Grande to Four Hills Reach of Tijeras Arroyo (AU NM-9000.A_070). The purpose of conducting the UAA was to formally evaluate whether the Rio Grande to Four Hills Bridge reach of Tijeras Arroyo exhibits characteristics of an ephemeral water body under 20.6.4.97 NMAC. Based on the information presented in the UAA, the Rio Grande to Four Hills Bridge reach of Tijeras Arroyo (AU NM-9000.A_070) does exhibit the characteristics of an ephemeral water body.

NTESS and DOE intend to petition the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission for an amendment of the reach’s classification based on its highest attainable use through the standard rulemaking process for entities other than NMED in accordance with 20.6.4.15(E) NMAC. This webpage will contain up-to-date documents that are related to the Tijeras Arroyo Use Attainability Analysis.