Pappaws
Pappaws is an earth dam located in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, built in 1960. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Pappaws
The primary purpose of Pappaws is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Bia (federal). It impounds the Los Alamos Creek near Chama.
The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 358 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 34 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1960, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. 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 10/08/2019.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Rio Arriba |
| Nearest City | Chama |
| River/Stream | Los Alamos Creek |
| Coordinates | 36.86915, -106.57781 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Length | 358 ft |
| Year Completed | 1960 (66 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 34 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 34 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 26 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 2 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 265 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | BIA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/08/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00684 |
| Federal ID | NM00684 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |