Final Phase of Gas Pipeline Decommissioning Begins in New Mexico’s Valles Caldera
By Mary Holcomb, Digital Editor
(P&GJ) — The final phase of decommissioning the old natural gas pipeline in New Mexico’s Valles Caldera National Preserve has started. This phase focuses on restoring a nine-mile stretch of the pipeline corridor that was disturbed.
Efforts include reducing erosion, reconnecting wetlands, and recontouring the land to promote natural revegetation. The access road used during the pipeline’s operation will also be removed.
The pipeline, which was constructed by the U.S. Department of Energy in the 1940s to supply natural gas to Los Alamos National Laboratory, was retired in 2022. Restoration work commenced the same year.
The National Park Service (NPS) and New Mexico Gas Company have collaborated on the restoration plan. The current phase covers the central and eastern nine miles of the pipeline route, from the San Antonio Cabin area to the park’s eastern boundary. Restoration includes smoothing the old roadbed, removing berms, installing water bars and plugs, removing culverts, reconnecting wetlands, and replanting with native seeds.
The pipeline corridor will be closed to visitors for the rest of the year to allow for natural regrowth. NPS is planning a trail reroute for the 2025 season and will provide updates early next year. The work is expected to wrap up by early November, with ongoing monitoring to ensure successful erosion control and vegetation establishment.
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