Clayton Dam is an earth dam located in Union County, New Mexico, built in 1955. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 82 ft82 ft tall and 720 ft long, taller than 97% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Clayton Dam
The primary purpose of Clayton Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (state). It impounds the Cimarron River-tr near Downstream Residence.
The dam stands 82 feet tall and stretches 720 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 175 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,630 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 112 square miles. Completed in 1955, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 09/04/2014. That was over 12 years ago.
At 82 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Union |
| Nearest City | Downstream Residence |
| River/Stream | Cimarron River-tr |
| Coordinates | 36.57610, -103.29520 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 82 ft |
| Dam Height | 82 ft |
| Dam Length | 720 ft |
| Year Completed | 1955 (71 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 6,630 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 6,630 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 4,080 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 175 acres |
| Drainage Area | 112 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 24,700 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | New Mexico Department of Game and Fish |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 09/04/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00294 |
| Federal ID | NM00294 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |