Sebastian Martin Site 3 Dam

About Sebastian Martin Site 3 Dam

The primary purpose of Sebastian Martin Site 3 Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Upper Rio Grande Watershed District (local government). It impounds the San Rafael near Unincorporated Residents.

The dam stands 69 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 12 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 151 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1977, the structure is 49 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/14/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 69 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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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