Mcgaffey Lake Dam

About Mcgaffey Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Mcgaffey Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by New Mexico Department Of Game And Fish (state). It impounds the Nutria Creek near Mcgaffey.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 417 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 14 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 216 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1937, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/18/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The New Mexico dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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