Jemez Canyon Dam (National ID # NM00003) is a dam in

Sandoval County, New Mexico Sandoval County is located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,561, making it the fourth-most populous county in New Mexico. The county seat is Bernalillo. Sandoval County is part of the Albuquerque ...

, a few miles north of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

. The earthen dam was constructed in 1953 by the

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, with a height of 150 feet and a length at its crest of 870 feet. It impounds the

Jemez River The Jemez River is a tributary of the Rio Grande in eastern Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. Description The river is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Jemez River and San Antonio Creek, which drain a number of tributaries in t ...

for flood control and storm water management in the spring and early summer seasons. The dam is owned by the Corps of Engineers, and operated by the Corps and the Cochiti Lake Project Office. The reservoir it creates, Jemez Canyon Reservoir, has a normal water surface of 2.2 square miles and a maximum capacity of 264,700

acre-feet The acre-foot is a non- SI unit of volume equal to about commonly used in the United States in reference to large-scale water resources, such as reservoirs, aqueducts, canals, sewer flow capacity, irrigation water, and river flows. An acre-f ...

. Normal storage is about one tenth that volume. Recreation is limited. There is no access to the water. All land surrounding the reservoir, except a small day-use area with picnic facilities and a scenic overlook, is the property of

Santa Ana Pueblo Santa Ana Pueblo ( Eastern Keres: Tamaya ʰɑmɑjːɑ is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 479. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Sta ...

, with restricted access.

References

{{authority control Dams in New Mexico Dams in the Rio Grande basin Reservoirs in New Mexico Dams completed in 1953 Buildings and structures in Bernalillo County, New Mexico Bodies of water of Bernalillo County, New Mexico United States Army Corps of Engineers dams 1953 establishments in New Mexico