Sumner Dam

About Sumner Dam

The primary purpose of Sumner 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 Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Pecos River near Fort Sumner.

The dam stands 164 feet tall and stretches 3,084 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7,615 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 227,683 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4,511 square miles. Completed in 1937, 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 02/15/2022.

At 164 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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