Santa Rosa Dam

Santa Rosa Dam (National ID # NM00158) is a dam in Guadalupe County, New Mexico.

Santa Rosa Dam
Santa Rosa Dam and Reservoir
Location of Santa Rosa Dam in New Mexico
Country	United States
Location	Guadalupe County, New Mexico
Coordinates	35.0283°N 104.6886°W / 35.0283; -104.6886
Purpose	Irrigation and flood control
Opening date	1979
Dam and spillways
Height	214 feet (65 m)
Length	1,900 feet (580 m)
Reservoir
Total capacity	717,000 acre-feet (884,000,000 m3)
Surface area	26 square miles (67 km2)

The earthen dam was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, with a height of 214 feet (65 m) and 1,900 feet (580 m) long at its crest.^[1] The uppermost major dam along the Pecos River, it serves for irrigation water storage and flood control.^[2] Originally proposed in 1951 and authorized in 1954, the dam (then known as the Los Esteros project) generated controversy, as the Fort Sumner Irrigation District which depended on the Pecos River contended it would increase evaporation rates. It was not until 1971 when an agreement was reached to reduce the permanent storage pool at Los Esteros. Construction lasted from 1974 to 1979, and the name of the dam and lake were changed to Santa Rosa the following year.^[3]

The reservoir it creates, Santa Rosa Lake, has a normal water surface area of 26 square miles (67 km²), a maximum capacity of 717,000 acre-feet (0.884 km³), and a normal capacity of 200,000 acre-feet (0.25 km³).^[4] Recreation includes fishing (for largemouth bass, catfish and walleye), boating, camping, and other activities at the adjacent Santa Rosa Lake State Park.

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-18. Retrieved 2012-09-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "Santa Rosa Lake".
3. Clark, Ira G. (1987). Water in New Mexico: A History of its Management and Use. University of New Mexico Press. p. 417. ISBN 0-82630-923-2.
4. "Santa Rosa Lake". Archived from the original on 2012-11-11. Retrieved 2012-09-03.