South Fork Dam is an earth dam located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, built in 1930. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall and 550 ft long, taller than 86% 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 South Fork Dam
The primary purpose of South Fork Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by New Mexico State Land Office (state). It impounds the South Fork of Las Cruces Arroyo near Las Cruces.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 550 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 111 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1930, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 04/20/2016. That was over 10 years ago.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Doña Ana |
| Nearest City | Las Cruces |
| River/Stream | South Fork of Las Cruces Arroyo |
| Coordinates | 32.33689, -106.70764 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Length | 550 ft |
| Year Completed | 1930 (96 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 111 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 111 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 12,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | New Mexico State Land Office |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 04/20/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00499 |
| Federal ID | NM00499 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |