El Vado Dam
Encyclopedia
El Vado Dam lies on the Rio Chama
in the U.S. state
of New Mexico
, about 105 miles (169 km) north-northwest of New Mexico's largest city, Albuquerque
and about 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of the capital city of Santa Fe
. The earth-filled
structure forms El Vado Lake
, a storage reservoir for the Middle Rio Grande Project. Owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the dam serves for storage and flood-control purposes and incorporates an 8 megawatt power generation facility owned by the Incorporated County of Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities.
Construction began in 1933 and the dam was completed in 1935. Impoundment of the reservoir, which filled by 1936, inundated El Vado, the largest town of Rio Arriba County
. The town's name meant "the crossing" in Spanish
, and it was named so because it was an important ford and trading center on the Rio Chama during the 19th century. The dam has since functioned to regulate the flows of the Rio Chama for irrigation purposes in the Rio Grande
Valley downstream. In 1966, a diversion was made from the San Juan River to the Chama, requiring an extensive retrofit of the dam's water conveyance facilities.
The dam is 229.5 feet (70 m) high and 1326 feet (404.2 m) long, and holds 196500 acre.ft of water. It has a concrete lined spillway capable of discharging 17800 cuft/s of water. The dam also has a set of outlet works
, capable of carrying 6850 cuft/s.
El Vado Lake, the reservoir formed by the dam, has 3200 acres (1,295 ha) and is surrounded by El Vado Lake State Park. The lake is a popular swimming, fishing and recreational boating venue.
Rio Chama (New Mexico)
The Rio Chama, a major tributary river of the Rio Grande, is located in the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico. The river is about long altogether...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, about 105 miles (169 km) north-northwest of New Mexico's largest city, Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
and about 80 miles (128.7 km) northwest of the capital city of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. The earth-filled
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
structure forms El Vado Lake
El Vado Lake
El Vado Lake is a reservoir located in Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Water is impounded by the earth-filled El Vado Dam, on the Rio Chama, long and high, completed in 1935...
, a storage reservoir for the Middle Rio Grande Project. Owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the dam serves for storage and flood-control purposes and incorporates an 8 megawatt power generation facility owned by the Incorporated County of Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities.
Construction began in 1933 and the dam was completed in 1935. Impoundment of the reservoir, which filled by 1936, inundated El Vado, the largest town of Rio Arriba County
Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*51.6% White*0.5% Black*16.0% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.3% Two or more races*28.2% Other races*71.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. The town's name meant "the crossing" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and it was named so because it was an important ford and trading center on the Rio Chama during the 19th century. The dam has since functioned to regulate the flows of the Rio Chama for irrigation purposes in the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
Valley downstream. In 1966, a diversion was made from the San Juan River to the Chama, requiring an extensive retrofit of the dam's water conveyance facilities.
The dam is 229.5 feet (70 m) high and 1326 feet (404.2 m) long, and holds 196500 acre.ft of water. It has a concrete lined spillway capable of discharging 17800 cuft/s of water. The dam also has a set of outlet works
Outlet works
A set of outlet works is a device used to release and regulate water flow from a dam. Such devices usually consist of one or more pipes or tunnels through the embankment of the dam, directing water usually under high pressure to the river downstream...
, capable of carrying 6850 cuft/s.
El Vado Lake, the reservoir formed by the dam, has 3200 acres (1,295 ha) and is surrounded by El Vado Lake State Park. The lake is a popular swimming, fishing and recreational boating venue.