Springer Lake Dam

About Springer Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Springer 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 Springer Ditch Company (private). It impounds the Cimarron River - Os near Springer.

The dam stands 29 feet tall and stretches 4,190 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 453 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 8,200 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 17 square miles. Completed in 1920, the structure is over a century 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/19/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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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