AMAFCA's History - Who We Are and What We Do

The Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA) was created in 1963 by the New Mexico Legislature with specific responsibility for flooding problems in greater Albuquerque. 

AMAFCA’s purpose is to prevent injury or loss of life, and to eliminate or minimize property damage. AMAFCA does this by building and maintaining flood control structures throughout the Albuquerque area.

Board of Directors

AMAFCA is a political subdivision of the State of New Mexico, and is governed by a publicly-elected five-member Board of Directors. Directors are elected from their districts during the general election, and they serve six-year staggered terms. The Board elects a Chairman from among the Directors.

Flood Control Structures

Traditional flood control measures focus on protection of existing developments through construction of dams (to hold water back) and channels (to divert or confine flows). Check out the facilities map to see which structures AMAFCA is responsible for, and which ones are maintained by another agency.

North and South Diversion Channels

The first mission of AMAFCA was to be the local sponsor for construction of two very large federally-funded projects, the North and South Diversion Channels, which were built by the Army Corps of Engineers. The North Diversion Channel drains Northeast Albuquerque and can carry 44,000 cubic feet of water per second at its outlet. The smaller South Diversion Channel protects the Southeast Valley by intercepting flows from Southeast Albuquerque and the Tijeras Arroyo. AMAFCA today is still responsible for these two main flood control structures.

Traditional Channels

The North and South Diversion Channels are examples of traditional channels. The North Diversion Channel is a concrete-lined arroyo, and the South Diversion Channel is mostly made of dirt. Both arroyos move floodwater to the river. The City of Albuquerque website has more information about Albuquerque’s Arroyos.

Non-Traditional Channels

The Calabacillas Arroyo is one example of a non-traditional channel built by AMAFCA. Soil-cement, made from a combination of local soil and cement, mimics the look of a natural arroyo while providing greater erosion protection than that of a plain dirt arroyo. The Calabacillas Arroyo also incorporates artwork elements into the design of the arroyo walls, in the section between Coors Boulevard and the Rio Grande.

Dams and Levees

A typical AMAFCA dam contains a principal spillway, which is a pipe under the dam, and an emergency spillway, which is the large channel around the side or over the top of the dam that acts as a safety valve. Dams and other types of detention basins collect floodwater, and release it slowly to prevent downstream damage. AMAFCA dams are capable of fully detaining the one percent (100-year) storm. A storm greater than that, however, could flow through the emergency spillway, and cause some downstream flooding. A levee is like a dam but confines water along a waterway such as a river.

Water Quality

AMAFCA is also concerned with protecting the quality of water for Albuquerque and its surrounding areas. Structures which catch debris and protect the Rio Grande from pollution are often modeled in the UNM Hydraulics Lab before they are built by AMAFCA. These web pages (West Bluff and North Pino) provide more details on recent AMAFCA models.

Drainage Policy

Download AMAFCA’s Drainage Policy. (pdf)

Historical Documents About AMAFCA

In 1974, the AMAFCA Board put together a brochure about AMAFCA. The purpose was stated as follows: "As more and more citizens of the community are coming into contact with the activities of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority, the Board of Directors has sensed a need to prepare a report to the public which would explain why the Authority was created, the things that have been accomplished with taxpayer dollars, its present activities and its objectives for the future. In addition to the text, it is hoped that the accompanying photographs will serve as reminders of past failures to provide adequate flood protection and the need for continuing vigilance on the part of all public and private interests to prevent repetition of past mistakes." You can view a scanned copy of this historical brochure here. It is a pdf, slightly over 2 MB in size.

In 1991, AMAFCA created an updated brochure, this time in color. The introduction states: "Floods in the Desert. Albuquerque experiences dangerous flooding conditions somewhere in the city about a dozen times per year. Albuquerque floods can be particularly hazardous because the origin of the flood may not be obvious at the floodsite itself. Distant thunderstorms in the Sandia Mountains, as well as storms in just one part of the city, can result in an unexpected wall of water which roars through arroyos and channels. Many people are unaware of the hazards; consequently, nearly every year Albuquerqueans experience personal injuries and property damage from floods. Helping people prevent these injuries and damages is the mission of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA)." You can view a scanned copy of the brochure here. It is a pdf, slightly over 1 MB in size.

In 1992, M. A. Peterson wrote A Summary History of AMAFCA. While much has happened since then, it provides a good look back at AMAFCA's early years.