Ute Dam

About Ute Dam

The primary purpose of Ute Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (state). It impounds the Canadian River near Logan.

The dam stands 132 feet tall and stretches 6,570 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7,200 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 464,240 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 10,550 square miles. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/09/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 132 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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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