Laguna Del Campo Dam is an earth dam located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, built in 1940. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 36 ft36 ft tall and 500 ft long, taller than 82% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Laguna Del Campo Dam
The primary purpose of Laguna Del Campo 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 Rio Brazos-os near La Puente.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 178 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1940, 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. 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 03/15/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.
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 | Rio Arriba |
| Nearest City | La Puente |
| River/Stream | Rio Brazos-os |
| Coordinates | 36.71380, -106.58400 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Length | 500 ft |
| Year Completed | 1940 (86 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 178 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 178 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 100 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 11 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,185 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | New Mexico Department of Game and Fish |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 03/15/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00313 |
| Federal ID | NM00313 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |