Falcon Dam
Encyclopedia
Falcon Dam is an earthen embankment dam
on the Rio Grande
between Starr County
in the U.S. state
of Texas
and the city of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero
in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas
. The dam was built for water conservation
, irrigation
, hydroelectric power generation
, flood control
, and recreation
al purposes and as an international border crossing
between Zapata and Starr Counties and Tamaulipas. Construction on the dam began in December 1950 and ended in April 1954 but it was dedicated by presidents Adolfo Ruiz Cortines
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
in October 1953.
and the United States
. Construction on the dam began on 15 December 1950 and the reservoir began to fill on 25 August 1953. The dam was dedicated on 19 October 1953 and work was officially complete on 8 April 1954. By October 1954, the dam's hydroelectric power station began to produce electricity.
. The dam is made of 12600000 cu yd (9,633,391 m³) of earth-fill, 282000 cu yd (215,604 m³) of concrete
and 10300 ST (9,344 t) of reinforced steel
. The center of the dam is over-topped with a 1300 ft (396 m) long spillway
with widths ranging from 350 ft (107 m) at the top and 600 ft (183 m) at the bottom. The spillway is controlled by six 50 by 50 ft (15.2 by 15.2 m) fixed wheel gates and can release up to 456000 ft3/s downstream.
The Falcon Dam supplies water to two different hydroelectric power plants, one on the Mexican side and another on the U.S. side. Each power plant contains 3 x 10.5 MW Francis turbine
generators for a combined total of 63 MW. Each power plant also receives water from the reservoir via 4 x 13 ft (4 m) diameter penstock
s. The two extra penstocks are for an additional generator if needed.
The Falcon Dam created the Falcon International Reservoir
that has a volume of 2645646 acre.ft and a surface area of 87400 acre (354 km²).
drug cartel had planned to destroy the Falcon Dam in order to terrorize the rival Gulf Cartel
which smuggles drugs in the area. Small amounts of dynamite
discovered near the dam and a copy of a warning helped alert authorities. A larger U.S. and Mexican security presence in the area may have thwarted the attack that Los Zetas had reportedly warned civilians about on the Mexican-side of the border.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
on 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...
between Starr County
Starr County, Texas
Starr County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 60,968. Its county seat is Rio Grande City. The county is named for James Harper Starr, who served as Secretary of the Treasury of the Republic of Texas. It is part of the Rio Grande City-Roma, TX,...
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 Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and the city of Nueva Ciudad Guerrero
Nueva Ciudad Guerrero
Nueva Ciudad Guerrero is a city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It lies on the banks of the Rio Grande / Río Bravo, near the U.S.-Mexico border, opposite to Falcon Heights, Texas. The Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing connects Falcon Heights with Nueva Ciudad Guerrero.It is located in...
in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
. The dam was built for water conservation
Water conservation
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
, irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, hydroelectric power generation
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
, flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
, and recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al purposes and as an international border crossing
Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing
The Lake Falcon Dam International Crossing is a bridge across the Rio Grande south of Falcon Lake. The dam connects the United States-Mexico border cities of Falcon Heights, Texas and Nueva Ciudad Guerrero, Tamaulipas...
between Zapata and Starr Counties and Tamaulipas. Construction on the dam began in December 1950 and ended in April 1954 but it was dedicated by presidents Adolfo Ruiz Cortines
Adolfo Ruiz Cortines
Adolfo Ruiz Cortines was President of Mexico from 1952 to 1958, representing the Institutional Revolutionary Party he was one of the oldest presidents of Mexico...
and Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
in October 1953.
Construction
The Falcon Dam was authorized by the Treaty for the Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande or Water Treaty of 1944 between MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Construction on the dam began on 15 December 1950 and the reservoir began to fill on 25 August 1953. The dam was dedicated on 19 October 1953 and work was officially complete on 8 April 1954. By October 1954, the dam's hydroelectric power station began to produce electricity.
Characteristics
The Falcon Dam is a 150 ft (46 m) high and 26294 ft (8,014 m) long earthen embankment damEmbankment 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...
. The dam is made of 12600000 cu yd (9,633,391 m³) of earth-fill, 282000 cu yd (215,604 m³) of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
and 10300 ST (9,344 t) of reinforced steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The center of the dam is over-topped with a 1300 ft (396 m) long spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
with widths ranging from 350 ft (107 m) at the top and 600 ft (183 m) at the bottom. The spillway is controlled by six 50 by 50 ft (15.2 by 15.2 m) fixed wheel gates and can release up to 456000 ft3/s downstream.
The Falcon Dam supplies water to two different hydroelectric power plants, one on the Mexican side and another on the U.S. side. Each power plant contains 3 x 10.5 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
generators for a combined total of 63 MW. Each power plant also receives water from the reservoir via 4 x 13 ft (4 m) diameter penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s. The two extra penstocks are for an additional generator if needed.
The Falcon Dam created the Falcon International Reservoir
Falcon International Reservoir
Falcon International Reservoir, commonly called Falcon Lake, is a reservoir on the Rio Grande 40 miles southeast of Laredo, Texas, USA, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The huge lake is bounded by Starr and Zapata counties on the Texas side of the international border and the municipality and...
that has a volume of 2645646 acre.ft and a surface area of 87400 acre (354 km²).
2010 Plot to destroy the dam
In June 2010, U.S. authorities revealed that the Los ZetasLos Zetas
Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
drug cartel had planned to destroy the Falcon Dam in order to terrorize the rival Gulf Cartel
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
which smuggles drugs in the area. Small amounts of dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
discovered near the dam and a copy of a warning helped alert authorities. A larger U.S. and Mexican security presence in the area may have thwarted the attack that Los Zetas had reportedly warned civilians about on the Mexican-side of the border.
External links
- Falcon Dam & Power Plant - U.S. State Dept Website | title=Falcon Dam | work=Geographic Names Information SystemGeographic Names Information SystemThe Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
| publisher=United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological SurveyThe United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
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