La Casita Dam is an earth dam located in Starr County, Texas, built in 1966. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 32 ft32 ft tall and 1,200 ft long, taller than 74% 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 La Casita Dam
The primary purpose of La Casita Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Eloy Garza (private). It impounds the Tr-rio Grande near Garciasville.
The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 1,200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 35 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1966, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/09/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
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 Texas 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 | Texas |
| County | Starr |
| Nearest City | Garciasville |
| River/Stream | Tr-rio Grande |
| Coordinates | 26.33120, -98.71751 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1966 (60 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 300 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 300 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 173 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 35 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 3,171 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Owner | Eloy Garza |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 02/09/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | TX01702 |
| Federal ID | TX01702 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |