At the present time the Rio Grande is eroding the east river bank at the Sandia Priority Site project area, allowing the river channel to be undesirably close to critical irrigation and flood-control facilities. The banks of the Rio Grande are dangerously close the east levee system (less than 100 feet from the levee) and present potentially serious threats to project facilities and public health and safety. At high flows the east river bank could continue to erode, possibly breaching the east levee system and flooding private, Pueblo of Sandia, and Middle Rio Grande Project facilities. Short-term, pre-emergency activities, in the form of riprap placement along the east river bank, were implemented in 2003 (TetraTech 2002). Threatened and endangered species are also of concern along this portion of the Rio Grande.

The purpose of this project would be to prevent damage to the east levee system by reducing the probability that high flows will cause further erosion of the east river bank. This action would also provide additional bank stability and reliability in the project area. A secondary purpose of the project would be to take advantage of opportunities provided by the proposed action to restore, improve, and enhance habitat for threatened and endangered species in the project area.