Does the BDD Project protect the environment?
Yes. From planning to construction, the BDD Project strives to protect the environment through minimizing its impact on land, wildlife, plants, trees and shrubs, the Rio Grande and aquatic life. The Final Environmental Impact Statement and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Biological Opinion on the Effects and Actions of the Assessment of the BDD Project found that, for a project of its size and complexity, the BDD Project is expected to have only a very minor effect on the environment. The BDD also helps promote sustainability by making our region’s water supply portfolio more flexible and more sustainable. Specific environmental features of the BDD Project includes fish screens to allow fish to safely pass through the diversion structure; low-flow diversion curtailments for the endangered Silvery Minnow; aquatic, riparian and habitat restoration with ongoing monitoring; revegetation of the construction area with native plants and seeds; and removal of non-native plant species. For m
