Caballo Dam

Caballo Dam is an earthen dam on the Rio Grande about 15 miles (24 km) downstream from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, United States. In conjunction with Elephant Butte Dam, which lies about 25 miles (40 km) upstream, it regulates the discharge of the river in the lower Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Caballo serves as an afterbay for the Elephant Butte Reservoir, i.e. it stores water released from Elephant Butte for hydroelectricity generation purposes and discharges it in the dry season to provide for irrigation agriculture downstream. The dam is an important part of the Rio Grande Project.[1][2] A secondary purpose of the dam was to compensate for lost capacity in Elephant Butte Lake due to sedimentation.

Caballo Dam
Caballo Dam from the air
Location of Caballo Dam in New Mexico
CountryUnited States
LocationSierra County, New Mexico
Coordinates32.8964°N 107.2934°W / 32.8964; -107.2934
PurposeIrrigation,
Dam and spillways
Height96 ft (29 m)
Length4,590 ft (1,400 m)
Reservoir
Total capacity343,990 acre feet (424,310,000 m3)

Caballo Dam is 96 feet (29 m) high and stands 82 feet (25 m) above the Rio Grande. It is 4,590 feet (1,400 m) long and contains 33,578,388 cubic feet (950,834.1 m3) of material. The elevation of the crest is 4,190 feet (1,280 m) and the average elevation of its reservoir, Caballo Lake, is 4,172 feet (1,272 m).[3] The dam has two water outlets; the outlet works have a capacity of 5,000 cubic feet per second (140 m3/s), and the main spillway has a capacity of 33,200 cubic feet per second (940 m3/s).[4] Caballo Lake is roughly 7 miles (11 km) long and stores up to 343,990 acre feet (424,310,000 m3) of water.[5]

See also

References
  1. Kelley, Shari A. "Caballo Lake State Park". State Parks & Monuments. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  2. "Rio Grande Project". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-05-27. Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  3. "Caballo Dam Dimensions". Rio Grande Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  4. "Caballo Dam Hydraulics & Hydrology". Rio Grande Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  5. "Caballo Dam Overview". Rio Grande Project. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. 2009-02-19. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
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