Ambitious Clean Up Restores Beauty and Safety to Rio Grande Canyon

Years ago, there was a road along the edge of the Rio Pueblo Canyon in Taos, which some residents used as an illegal dumping site for old appliances and other hazardous waste. This road has since been blocked off and redesigned as a walking path, eliminating the potential for future dumping. But, due to the debris’s size and the terrain’s rugged nature, the waste has remained, leaving an eyesore, a threat to local wildlife, and significant soil contamination. So, a staff member from Friends of Rio Grande del Norte National Monument reached out to LOR with an idea: partner with expert volunteers through the Taos Ski Valley Patrol to remove the hazardous debris.

LOR’s support will fund all the equipment and professional services needed to safely complete a long-overdue clean-up of the canyon.