Construction completed on Lower Ivory Channel Project

The Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority hosted a ribbon-cutting event Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the Lower Ivory Channel Project in Rio Rancho.

The project will increase flood-carrying capacity and provide erosion protection along the Lower Ivory Channel south of Southern Boulevard.

The Ivory channel had become an extremely deep, meandering drainage that was threatening adjacent development with erosion and creating a dangerous situation for anyone around the drainage.

The $1.4 million project regraded the channel and, using a combination of materials, provided armoring along the banks and bottom of the channel to prevent future meandering of the channel in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

Mayor Gregg Hull; Ron Abranshe, chairman of the SSCAFCA Board of Directors; John Chaney, SSCAFCA board member; Dave Gatterman, executive engineer, SSCAFCA; Andy Edmondson, facilities operations director, SSCAFCA; Andres Sanchez, design services director, SSCAFCA; and Esqi Padilla and Jeramiah Priest from Salls Brothers Construction were on hand to cut the ribbon.