Grady Hamilton
Grady Hamilton is an earth dam located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Grady Hamilton
The primary purpose of Grady Hamilton is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Rio Chama -tr near Brazos.
The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 118 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.
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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Rio Arriba |
| Nearest City | Brazos |
| River/Stream | Rio Chama -tr |
| Coordinates | 36.83450, -106.54720 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Height | 24 ft |
| Dam Length | 400 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 118 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 118 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 81 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 8 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | BIA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00682 |
| Federal ID | NM00682 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |