Bernalillo County is landlocked with no coastline, but the Rio Grande Bosque is the regulated equivalent. The Bosque Action Plan, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District jurisdiction, and FEMA floodway rules control any development within the river corridor.
While no coastal zone applies in New Mexico, development near the Rio Grande is regulated through multiple overlapping authorities. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) holds easements along the river levees and controls the irrigation ditch network — any crossing or bank work needs MRGCD approval. FEMA-mapped floodway along the Rio Grande (Zone AE/AO) prohibits any fill or structure that would raise the base flood elevation, enforced via Bernalillo County Ordinance Chapter 30 (Floodplain Management). The Bosque is a cottonwood/willow riparian forest managed under the 1993 Bosque Biological Management Plan; federal Section 404 Clean Water Act permits from the Army Corps of Engineers (Albuquerque District) are required for any fill in wetlands or waters of the U.S. Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (federally endangered) triggers ESA Section 7 consultation. Petroglyph National Monument and Sandia Pueblo boundaries add additional setbacks.
Floodway encroachment: stop-work, removal at owner expense, fines up to $500/day under County Code Chapter 30. Unpermitted wetland fill: Army Corps civil penalty up to $59,973/day plus restoration. MRGCD trespass: misdemeanor, removal of encroachment.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bernalillo County, NM
Bernalillo County Animal Care Ordinance (Chapter 6, §6-47) — unlawful to allow an animal to persistently or continuously bark, howl, or make noise common to ...
Bernalillo County, NM
Bernalillo County has no leaf blower-specific ban. Gas-powered blowers are widely used in unincorporated areas. General noise and air quality rules apply, wi...
Bernalillo County, NM
Construction noise in unincorporated Bernalillo County is regulated under the county noise ordinance (Chapter 30, Art. IV) and general nuisance provisions. B...
Bernalillo County, NM
Bernalillo County Code Chapter 30, Article IV (Noise) establishes noise regulations for unincorporated areas. State law NMSA §30-20-1 also applies — disturbi...
Bernalillo County, NM
Albuquerque and Bernalillo County encourage EV charger installation. The 2021 NM Energy Conservation Code adopted statewide requires EV-ready parking in new ...
Bernalillo County, NM
Unincorporated Bernalillo County includes rural and semi-rural areas with larger lot sizes that generally accommodate RV storage. County zoning code (Appendi...
See how Bernalillo County's coastal development rules stack up against other locations.
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