San Mateo Lake Dam
San Mateo Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Cibola County, New Mexico, built in 1935. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About San Mateo Lake Dam
The primary purpose of San Mateo Lake Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by San Mateo Community Ditch (local government). It impounds the San Mateo Creek near San Mateo.
The dam stands 53 feet tall and stretches 350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 90 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1935, 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/03/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
At 53 feet, this dam is taller than 94% 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 | Cibola |
| Nearest City | San Mateo |
| River/Stream | San Mateo Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.32370, -107.63380 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 53 ft |
| Dam Height | 47 ft |
| Dam Length | 350 ft |
| Year Completed | 1935 (91 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 90 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 90 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 70 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 7 acres |
| Drainage Area | 8 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 3,100 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | SAN MATEO COMMUNITY DITCH |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/03/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00356 |
| Federal ID | NM00356 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |