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Drone Rules for Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Albuquerque, New Mexico (nm) • United States
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107, USA
Lat: 35.1305 • Lng: -106.683
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 27, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park under New Mexico State Park regulations and are additionally subject to mandatory FAA ATC authorization due to the park's location within Albuquerque Class C airspace (ABQ). No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without both w

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ Prohibited — requires both NM State Park written authorization AND FAA Class C ATC authorization (LAANC or DroneZone)
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Requires EMNRD State Parks permit + mandatory FAA Class C ATC authorization + Part 107 certification
  • Airspace: ⚠️ Albuquerque Class C (ABQ) — ATC authorization mandatory for ALL UAS operations regardless of altitude
  • Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ MBTA active — Central Flyway migration corridor; sandhill cranes, raptors, riparian songbirds

Geographic Boundaries

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park is located in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, administered by the NM EMNRD State Parks Division.

  • Total area: ~270 acres
  • Coordinates: 35.1328° N, 106.6800° W
  • Nearest city: Albuquerque, NM (within city limits — northwest side)
  • Nearest airport: Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) ~6 miles southeast
  • Terrain: Rio Grande riparian bosque (cottonwood forest), river oxbow ponds, wetland impoundments, native grass meadows
  • Located entirely within Albuquerque Class C airspace (ABQ)
  • Position within Central Flyway — one of four major North American migratory bird corridors
  • Documented species: 360+ bird species; bald eagle, sandhill crane, peregrine falcon, and 15+ species of migratory warblers
  • Airspace: Class C (ABQ) — ATC authorization mandatory for all UAS

Regulations

  • New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) 19.6.1 — State Park rules prohibit drone operations without written authorization from park manager
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107.41 — Operations in Class C airspace require ATC authorization; LAANC or DroneZone approval mandatory before flight
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 48 — All drones over 0.55 lbs must be registered
  • Albuquerque Class C airspace (ABQ) — surface to 4,100 ft MSL within 5 NM of ABQ; park falls within inner shelf
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — Central Flyway corridor; drone harassment of migrating flocks is a federal offense
  • Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 668) — bald eagle regular presence along Rio Grande corridor
  • New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment regulations apply concurrently
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs all commercial UAS operations nationwide

Penalties

  • EMNRD State Parks fines under NMAC 19.6.1: up to $500 per violation
  • NMDGF wildlife harassment: up to $1,000 per violation under NMAC 19.31
  • FAA Class C airspace violation without authorization: civil penalties up to $27,500/day + certificate suspension or revocation
  • MBTA criminal penalties: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment
  • BGEPA violations: fines up to $100,000 + 2 years imprisonment (second offense)
  • Criminal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 32 for willful violations

Special Permissions

  • Step 1: Written authorization from Rio Grande Nature Center park manager
  • Step 2: FAA LAANC authorization via approved app (Aloft, Kittyhawk, etc.) OR FAA DroneZone waiver for operations not covered by LAANC grid
  • Step 3: NMDGF wildlife disturbance permit for migration window operations
  • Commercial operators must hold valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
  • Bald eagle presence (October–March) triggers BGEPA informal USFWS coordination recommendation Submit requests to: Rio Grande Nature Center State Park Manager, 2901 Candelaria Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107 FAA LAANC authorization: https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/data_exchange
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Rule sources
  • https://www.fws.gov/media/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-policy — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
  • https://www.faa.gov/uas/programs_partnerships/data_exchange — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
  • https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
  • https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.jsp — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/section-27.34 — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, FAA Class C airspace authorization requirements under 14 CFR Part 107.41 (Albuquerque ABQ), MBTA Central Flyway migratory bird protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and NMDGF NMAC 19.31 wildlife harassment rules collectively regulate all drone operations at Rio Grande Nature Center State Park.
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