Caballo Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Caballo Dam |
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Caballo Dam from the air
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 Location of Caballo Dam in New Mexico
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| Country | United States |
| Location | Sierra County, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 32°53′47″N 107°17′36″W / 32.8964°N 107.2934°W |
| Purpose | Irrigation, |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 96 ft (29 m) |
| Length | 4,590 ft (1,400 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 343,990 acre-feet (424,310,000 m3) |
Caballo Dam is a large earthen dam in New Mexico, United States. It is built on the Rio Grande river. You can find it about 15 miles (24 km) downstream from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
This dam works with another big dam called Elephant Butte Dam. Elephant Butte Dam is about 25 miles (40 km) upstream. Together, these dams help control the river's flow in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
What Does Caballo Dam Do?
Caballo Dam has a few important jobs. It acts like a holding tank for water released from Elephant Butte Dam. This water is used to make hydroelectricity, which is power from moving water.
During the dry season, Caballo Dam releases this water. This helps farmers downstream with irrigation for their crops. The dam is a key part of a big project called the Rio Grande Project. Another reason for the dam was to make up for space lost in Elephant Butte Lake. This space was lost because of sedimentation, which is when dirt and sand build up.
How Big is Caballo Dam?
Caballo Dam is quite large! It stands 96 feet (29 meters) high. It rises 82 feet (25 meters) above the Rio Grande riverbed. The dam is very long, stretching 4,590 feet (1,399 meters) across. It is made of a huge amount of material, about 33,578,388 cubic feet (950,850 cubic meters).
The top of the dam is 4,190 feet (1,277 meters) above sea level. The lake behind the dam, called Caballo Lake, is usually around 4,172 feet (1,272 meters) high.
Water Outlets and Lake Size
The dam has two ways to let water out. The main water outlets can release 5,000 cubic feet (142 cubic meters) of water every second. There is also a main spillway, which can handle a lot more water. It can release 33,200 cubic feet (940 cubic meters) per second.
Caballo Lake is about 7 miles (11 km) long. It can hold a lot of water, up to 343,990 acre-feet (424 million cubic meters).
