Amistad Dam

About Amistad Dam

The primary purpose of Amistad 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 International Boundary And Water Commission;mexico Comision Internacional De Limites Y Aguas (federal). It impounds the Rio Grande near Del Rio.

The dam stands 287 feet tall and stretches 32,022 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 89,000 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,128,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 123,134 square miles. Completed in 1969, 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 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 01/31/2024.

At 287 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 Texas dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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