Lomas Del Sur Detention Pond Dam

About Lomas Del Sur Detention Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Lomas Del Sur Detention Pond 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 Als Laredo Holdings Llc (private). It impounds the Tr-rio Grande near Laredo.

The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 2,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 97 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1911, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/01/1978. That was 47 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.

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