Red Bluff Dam

About Red Bluff Dam

The primary purpose of Red Bluff Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Red Bluff Water Power Control District (local government). It impounds the Pecos River near Pecos.

The dam stands 106 feet tall and stretches 9,320 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7,337 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 516,785 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,869 square miles. Completed in 1936, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/01/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 106 feet, this dam is taller than 98% 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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