Wednesday, August 9, 2006

Acoma lake overflow threatens county area

Jane Moorman News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jmoorman@news-bulletin.com

Highland Meadows Two homes in the Highland Meadows community were underwater Tuesday after rising waters in the Rio San Jose overflowed.

Recent rains in the Acoma area caused the flooding in the western Valencia County community, county officials said.

The Pueblo of Acoma released water from a lake located on the Rio San Jose to prevent damage to the dam and that caused the river to overflow in the Mesita area in the Laguna Reservation, said Valencia County Manager Mike Trujillo. The water also caused the Rio Puerco to flow heavily all the way to N.M. 6 and beyond.

Because the heavy rains caused the Acoma's sewage lagoons to overflow into the Rio San Jose, Valencia County officials warned residents in the area that the water in the Rio Puerco and the flooded areas could pose a health hazard.

"Water is backing up into an area that normally drains into the Rio San Jose," said Trujillo. "It's ponding into a natural bowl south of the railroad track and west of N.M. 6."

At mid-morning Tuesday, two homes were flooded in the area southwest of the Old Route 66 railroad bridge. Several other houses were in potential danger if the water rose higher.

By noon, the county road to the 12 houses in that area had flooded out and people had to walk through the flowing water to reach their homes.

During the next four hours, the water had risen four inches and was threatening to overflow onto Old Route 66.

A private road that is the only access from Old Route 66 to 92 homes was also in danger of flooding. Valencia County Road Department personnel worked through the afternoon to place dikes along the road to prevent overflow.

County emergency response personnel worked Tuesday afternoon to prepare the Highland Meadows Fire Station with bedding to house families if the road became flooded and residents were stranded away from their homes.

"It's County Fire Chief Charles Eaton's call if we need assistance from Red Cross," Trujillo said. "Hopefully, we will be able to keep the road open."

E-mail this story Printer-friendly version