Farmington Lake Dam is an earth dam located in San Juan County, New Mexico, built in 1964. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 117 ft117 ft tall and 1,075 ft long, taller than 98% 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 Farmington Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Farmington Lake Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City of Farmington (local government). It impounds the Animas River-os near Farmington.
The dam stands 117 feet tall and stretches 1,075 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 198 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 8,470 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1964, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/03/2019.
At 117 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 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 | San Juan |
| Nearest City | Farmington |
| River/Stream | Animas River-os |
| Coordinates | 36.79424, -108.10300 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 117 ft |
| Dam Height | 117 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,075 ft |
| Year Completed | 1964 (62 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 8,470 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 8,470 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 6,703 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 198 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,500 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Water Supply |
| Owner | City of Farmington |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 12/03/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00302 |
| Federal ID | NM00302 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |