The Largest Dam in New Mexico Is a Towering 402-Foot Behemoth

Water is a precious resource in New Mexico, and the appropriate management of lakes, rivers, and streams is essential. Dams in New Mexico can help control flooding, manage drinking water, provide irrigation resources, and create recreational areas. The largest dam in New Mexico is essential to water management for the state’s people.

The Largest Dam in New Mexico

The largest dam in New Mexico, Navajo Dam, on the San Juan River, is a massive earthen structure that provides flood control, irrigation, and recreational resources for the surrounding area. The damming of the river has created the sizable Navajo Lake—an oasis in the dry New Mexico environment.

The Largest Dam in New Mexico: Where It Is on a Map

The Navajo Dam is located on the San Juan River in the state’s northwest corner. Navajo Lake extends into southern Colorado.

The Largest Dam in New Mexico: Design and Construction

The Colorado River Storage Project Act of April 11, 1956, laid the foundation for the construction of the Navajo Dam. It was dedicated in 1962 and is owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. The dam is a rolled earth embankment dam constructed by compacting layer after layer of material—26,840,863 cubic yards worth. It measures 30 feet wide at the top and has a base width of over 2,500 feet. The dam has a concrete spillway on the right abutment, which ranges from 138 to 195 feet wide.

What Body of Water Does the Navajo Dam Control?

The Navajo Dam controls the San Juan River, a tributary of the Colorado River. It creates the reservoir known as Navajo Lake. The dam was part of a project to manage and utilize the Colorado River Basin.

Wildlife Near the Navajo Dam

The areas around Navajo Dam include the lake, the San Juan River, and the surrounding state recreational areas. The waters teem with fish such as rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, northern pike, kokanee salmon, and brown trout. Deer live around the lake.

What Would Happen If the Navajo Dam Ever Broke?

Failure of the Navajo Dam would endanger the San Juan River communities of Archuleta, Turley, Blanco, Bloomfield, and Farmington. Homes, businesses, and farms would be destroyed, and there could be a significant loss of life. Due to their height, the hills above the San Juan River would be safe, but the loss of water would devastate the region’s farms.

Conclusion

The Navajo Dam, the largest dam in New Mexico, controls the waters of the San Juan River. This river was sometimes subject to seasonal flooding. Also, the water it provides for irrigation is a boon to local agriculture. Finally, the creation of Navajo Lake has resulted in a recreational playground for the citizens and visitors of New Mexico.