Navajo 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 San Juan County
San Juan County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*51.6% White*0.6% Black*36.6% Native American*0.4% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*7.2% Other races*19.1% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and 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 northwestern 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...
. Portions of the reservoir extend into Archuleta County
Archuleta County, Colorado
Archuleta County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the county population was 12,386 in 2006, a 25.14% increase since U.S. Census 2000...
in southern Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The lake is part of the Colorado River Storage Project, which here manages the upper reaches of the San Juan River, storing and releasing water that is used locally for irrigation, or ultimately reaching the Colorado River
Colorado River
The Colorado River , is a river in the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. The watershed of the Colorado River covers in parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Water is impounded in Navajo Lake by the earth- and rock-filled Navajo Dam
Navajo Dam
Navajo Dam is an earthen dam on the San Juan River, a tributary of the Colorado River, in northwestern New Mexico in the United States. The dam and its reservoir, Navajo Lake, lie in the arid western foothills of the Rocky Mountains about east of Farmington....
, 3800 feet (1,158.2 m) long and 400 feet (121.9 m) high, completed in 1962. The 15600 acres (63 km²) lake is over 25 miles (40.2 km) long and lies at an elevation of up to 6085 feet (1,854.7 m).
The construction of the dam and the resulting lake flooded and destroyed one of the Navajos'
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
most sacred sites.
Two shoreline areas near the dam in New Mexico are part of the Navajo Lake State Park, featuring over 200 camping and picnic sites, and two improved boat ramps and a marina. The river shorelines below the dam are also part of the state park, as well as a BLM Recreation Area. An area in Colorado near the head of the lake is the Navajo State Recreation Area. The lake is an excellent destination for camping and general boating, as well Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, and Trout fishing.