NMVFO plans 20+ volunteer work projects each year. Click here for a printable overview of the 2024 project season, and check back often for additional information posted as it becomes available. To receive updates and detailed information about upcoming projects and events, be sure to sign up for the NMVFO newsletter on the Home page. Public land agencies that are interested in proposing a project should contact our Projects Team (projects@nmvfo.org) for more information and our easy-to-complete project proposal form.
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Bluewater Lake State Park
July 16, 2016 - July 17, 2016
Contact Leader(s): Chris Fritzsche, 505-504-3768, fritzsche.christopher@gmail.com; Gena Robertson, g.robertson@nmvfo.org with any questions.
Bluewater Lake State Park is an unexpected oasis a few miles west of grants off I-40 and just east of the Continental Divide. In addition to the park being one of New Mexico’s oldest trout fishing reservoirs, it also boasts 68 species of birds calling the park home, or passing through the park on their annual migrations. The most startling are the Canyonside and Dam Trails kept cool and lush by the Bluewater Creek and along which signs of wild horses and beaver are prevalent. Lucky for us, the area along the Bluewater Creek is where we’ll be working during this project.
Camping at the group shelter will be available Friday, July 15th through Sunday, July 17th. RV connections are not available at the group shelter, but are at other park campsites. Potable water and bathrooms are located near the group shelter. NMVFO will provide breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Saturday night. PLEASE, BRING YOUR OWN CAMP DINNER WARE. Bring water bottles/packs, daypack, lunches and snacks, and a camp chair is a good idea, long-sleeved shirts, long pants, work gloves, work boots, sun protection, raingear (just in case),. Carpooling is encouraged. Please sign up for this project by Tuesday, July 12th so that our meal coordinator can match provisions to participants. Unfortunately, we will not be able to support restricted diets.
The section of trail we’ll be working on is just under a mile in total length with trail heads never more than a half mile from the group shelter. The agency has set task priorities based on greatest to least impact, although all of the work is needed. Priority #1 is to fix canyon wall descent on the most north-eastern edge of the Canyonside Trail. This will require a reroute of a few hundred feet and some rock work. Priority #2 is to block off, obliterate, and rehabilitate two sections, one a former trail and the other an unauthorized ATV user trail. The third set of priorities are to improve creek crossings and improve the Pinon Cliffs Trail by building stairs and removing loose rocks and debris.
To get to Bluewater Lake State Park exit I-40 at exit 63, turn left on State Highway 412 and follow for 7 miles. This road dead ends at the park entrance. The group shelter is ¼ mile from the entrance on the left hand side just beyond the ranger station. The green NMVFO signs will be deployed early Friday afternoon at both entrances to the campground area. Work will begin Saturday, July 16th at 8:00 am and Sunday, July 17th at the same start time, but we’ll finish up around noon.
If this is your first NMVFO camping project, you can find more information about what to expect at https://nmvfo.org/volunteer/volunteer-faq or email or call me (Chris), the project leader, fritzsche.christopher@gmail.com, (505) 504-3768 and Gena Robertson at (573) 300-0853, genarobertson@hotmail.com.
For an overview of the project, click here.