El Vado Lake
Encyclopedia
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
located in 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:...
, in northern 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...
in the southwestern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Water is impounded by the earth-filled El Vado Dam
El Vado Dam
El Vado Dam lies on the Rio Chama in the U.S. state of New Mexico, about north-northwest of New Mexico's largest city, Albuquerque and about 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...
, on the Rio Chama
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...
, 642 feet (195.7 m) long and 175 feet (53.3 m) high, completed in 1935. The 3200 acres (12.9 km²) lake is 5 miles (8 km) long and over 1 miles (1.6 km) wide, and lies at an elevation of 6900 feet (2,103.1 m).
The eastern shore of the lake is the El Vado Lake State Park, featuring over 100 camping and picnic sites, and two improved boat ramps. The lake is a destination for salmon and trout fishing, as well as for boating. Unlike nearby Heron Lake
Heron Lake (New Mexico)
Heron Lake is a reservoir in Rio Arriba County, in northern New Mexico in the southwestern United States. The lake is part of the San Juan-Chama Diversion Project, which transfers water from the upper reaches of the San Juan River through the Azotea Tunnel , into Willow Creek and the Rio Chama...
, boat speeds are not restricted. A 5.5 miles (8.9 km) hiking trail runs to the north, crosses the Rio Chama Gorge via a pedestrian suspension bridge, and then connects to the Heron Lake State Park.