An ongoing project of NMT is the installation of barriers along the Rio Guadalupe to prevent vehicles from driving too close to the streams. The US Forest Service arranged for help from about 20 inmates from the Los Lunas facilitywho were hard working, conscientious, had a good attitude, and were glad to be there. The extra help was welcome, as the digging along the road at Porter was very, very difficult. The old railroad bed was about 12 to 15 inches below the road surface and was heavily compacted with lots of big rocks. The auger was useful only for the first foot or so and then they had to complete the holes with rock bars and post hole diggers. It took two days to put in about 45 bollards and there are some gaps where the team couldn’t dig and that the Forest Service is going to block with big boulders.
