Conchas Dam is a dam on the
Canadian River in
San Miguel County,
New Mexico
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, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, about northeast of
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is the Italian, Portuguese and Spanish name for Saint Rose.
Santa Rosa may also refer to:
Places Argentina
*Santa Rosa, Mendoza, a city
* Santa Rosa, Tinogasta, Catamarca
* Santa Rosa, Valle Viejo, Catamarca
*Santa Rosa, La Pampa
* Sa ...
. Forming
Conchas Lake
Conchas Lake is a long reservoir in northeastern New Mexico, behind Conchas Dam on the Canadian River. The lake has an elevation of and a surface area of 9,600 acres.
Conchas Dam was completed in 1939 by the United States Army Corps of Engin ...
, it is a concrete
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...
flanked by earthen wing dikes, standing high with a total length of .
The dam serves mainly for irrigation water supply and flood control and is operated by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
.
First proposed in the early 1930s, the dam was initially rejected because of its remote site and
Depression conditions in New Mexico. However, the dam was made a possibility in 1935 with the passage of the
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act
The Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 was passed on April 8, 1935, as a part of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal. It was a large public works program that included the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Public Works Administration (PWA), ...
, which authorized several public works projects in New Mexico to provide relief to unemployment. Initial site work began in 1935 with construction on the actual dam starting in 1936. In 1939 construction was completed at a cost of $15.8 million.
Conchas Dam holds back a permanent pool of , with a maximum flood-control capacity of .
At normal water levels the reservoir has a surface area of ,
increasing to at full pool.
The dam and reservoir are the primary feature of the Tucumcari Irrigation Project. Water released from the dam is diverted into of canals which irrigate of land in the Canadian River valley. The irrigation works were built by the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
The Bureau of Reclamation, and formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it applies to the oversight and opera ...
from 1940–1942 and were turned over to the Arch Hurley Conservancy District in 1954.
References
External links
Conchas Lake – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
{{Authority control
Dams in New Mexico
Dams completed in 1939