Bonito Lake will see fish this summer, but here's why it needs more time before it reopens

Bonito Lake will be filled with trout this summer but may remain closed for another year, city officials said at a city commission meeting on April 23.

In 2012, the city of Alamogordo lost its primary source of potable water as floods carrying debris from the Little Bear Fire made their way into Bonito Lake, closing it indefinitely. Now Bonito Lake just might be a step closer to one day opening to visitors for the first time since those floods. Officials do not yet have an estimated date on when the lake could fully open.

Bonito Lake, located in Ruidoso, New Mexico, is a popular fishing spot for tourists and nearby residents, but most importantly, it is Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force Base's primary source of water.

The Little Bear Fire that began from lightning in June 2012 persisted for two months. It burned nearly 45,000 acres and 254 buildings.

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Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hernandez introduced a "parks and recreation master plan," at the commission meeting, that briefly focused on the reopening of the recreational portion of the lake.

She said one of the first steps the city is working on is reintroducing fish into the lake.

In an agreement with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish named Open Gates, it states the state agency will fill the lake with trout on a regular basis to adequately fulfill fish population. The agreement would also provide law and game enforcement for the area.

The masterplan was created alongside Consensus Planning, a consulting firm based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Principal Jacqueline Fishman from Consensus Planning said the project started in January 2023 with what started as a community survey. At least 226 people took the survey. The results were incorporated into the master plan, she said.

"Bonito Lake, a very special facility, while the current priority is to replace the existing road, we've had to divide that into several phases because it has been so expensive to do the road. There is a great need to improve your campground and other facilities so it can be re-open to the public for day use, overnight camping, hiking and fishing," Fishman said.

Hernandez added that the Bonito Lake project was originally on the city's Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) but ultimately had to be removed because there was "never a formalized plan."

"Now that we have something in writing that will be approved by the commission, we now have opportunities for going out for not just ICIP but other grant funding. One of our biggest issues is that we did not have something in place. And there is a big push right now for outdoor recreation," Hernandez said.

Mayor Susan Payne applauded the "master plan" to get Bonito Lake reopen at the meeting. She said funding cannot be provided if projects are not "shovel ready" and she said this plan will prepare the project for that.

"I think it's important that people understand, a lot of these grants have to be shovel ready. You can't just have an idea and say, "Oh I'm going to apply for a grant." It has to be something that if they fund you, you have to be ready to start building. That's why this is so good because we never had a plan until now," Payne said.

The master plan was approved unanimously.

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What has been accomplished at Bonito Lake in the last decade?

"The City’s #1 priority is to transmit water from Bonito Lake to the La Luz surface water treatment plant. We are coordinating our efforts with the Department of Defense to address the pipeline. We have successfully transmitted water from Bonito to 3 rivers, fixing issues along the way. The pipeline has not been in use for over a decade, and addressing the infrastructure is our priority," Hernandez said.

She said over the past decade, the priority has been to restore the water source.

"We have had to collaborate with FEMA & the New Mexico Environmental Agency to restore the lake. That was an enormous endeavor, with the lake portion alone costing up to $20 million to complete," Hernandez said.

She said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contributed 75% of the costs and the state and city split the 25%.

Hernandez said since the lake was empty, they were able to take a look at the dam, which also needed restoration. She said the city worked with the Dam Safety Bureau and the State Drinking Water Fund to restore the dam, catwalk, and tower.

"The work consisted of the construction and installation of new valves and piping, improvements to the intake tower, a new catwalk to the intake tower, new shotcrete surfacing on the upstream face of the dam, a new concrete cap on the top of the dam, and other related appurtenances. The total project cost was $3.247 million, not including GRTs," according to the Bonito Lake project draft.

Since water has been added to the lake, Hernandez said the next goal is to transmit the water back to Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force Base.

"Unfortunately, when the lake filled, people assumed it would be ready for recreational use. However, since the water is new, it will take time for the ecosystem to establish itself and for the food source to accumulate sufficiently to support the survival of the fish," Hernandez said. "We are working as efficiently as possible to get it open, but the reality is, it will take time, even for day fishing."

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Bonito Lake expects fish this summer but will stay closed for now