The Albuquerque Area Office (AAO) consists of six field offices in portions of three states: south-central Colorado, most of New Mexico, and west Texas. The AAO is responsible for Reclamation program activities in the Rio Grande, Pecos River, and Canadian River Basins and also serves 19 Native American pueblos and three tribes. Reclamation projects under the AAO's jurisdiction include nine major dams with a combined reservoir storage capacity of more than 3,551,000 acre-feet. These projects supply water for more than 439,000 acres of irrigated lands.
On the mainstem of the Rio Grande and its Upper Basin tributaries, the AAO provides operation, maintenance, and oversight on four projects: the San Luis Valley Project, the San Juan-Chama Project, Middle Rio Grande Project, and Rio Grande Project. Additionally, oversight is provided for the Vermejo and Tucumcari Projects in the Canadian River Basin. The AAO is also responsible for operation, maintenance, and oversight on four projects on the Pecos River: the Carlsbad Project, Pecos River Basin Water Salvage Project, Fort Sumner Project, and Malaga Bend Salinity Alleviation Project. All of these projects provide water for communities, agricultural lands, refuges, riverine environments, recreation, and fish and wildlife. Recreation opportunities abound for campers, boaters, bird watchers, and anglers at Platoro, Heron, El Vado, Nambe Falls, Elephant Butte, Caballo, Sumner, and Brantley Reservoirs.
