Cochiti Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cochiti Dam |
|
|---|---|
Cochiti Dam from lake side
|
|
| Official name | Cochiti Dam |
| Location | Cochiti Pueblo, Sandoval County, New Mexico, USA |
| Coordinates | 35°36′39″N 106°18′48″W / 35.6107°N 106.3132°W |
| Construction began | 1965 |
| Opening date | 1973 |
| Operator(s) | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Rio Grande |
| Height | 251 ft (76.5 m) |
| Length | 29,040 ft (8,852 m) |
| Width (base) | 1,760 ft (536.4 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Cochiti Lake |
| Total capacity | 718,019 acre-feet (885,663,000 m3) |
| Active capacity | 49,359 acre-feet (60,883,000 m3) |
The Cochiti Dam is a huge dam made mostly of earth. It is built on the Rio Grande river in New Mexico, USA. The dam is about 50 miles (80 km) north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the largest dams in the world based on the amount of material used to build it. It's also one of the top ten largest dams of its kind in the United States.
The Cochiti Dam is one of four big projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. These projects help control floods and sediment (like dirt and sand) in the Rio Grande river system. It works together with other dams like Abiquiu Dam, Galisteo Dam, and Jemez Canyon Dam.
What Cochiti Dam Does
The main job of the Cochiti Dam is to control floods. It helps manage large amounts of water that flow into the river, especially after heavy rains or snowmelt. The dam also helps create Cochiti Lake, which is used for fun activities and as a home for wildlife.
The dam has special outlet works that can release a lot of water. This helps control the river's flow downstream. The dam's operators try to let water flow through the lake as much as possible. This happens when the river below the dam can safely handle the water. If there's too much water, the dam holds it back to prevent flooding. Later, when the river is safer, the stored water is released slowly.
Cochiti Dam is also important for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. It helps manage water from a very large area, covering about 11,695 square miles (30,290 km2).
Building the Dam
The idea for Cochiti Dam was approved in 1960. It cost about $94.4 million to build. A few years later, in 1964, the plan was changed. This change allowed water to be used for fish, wildlife, and fun outdoor activities. About 50,000 acre-feet of water was set aside to fill the lake. More water was also planned to replace water lost to evaporation each year.
This extra water came from another project called the San Juan-Chama Project. This project brings water from the Colorado River basin across the Continental Divide into the Rio Grande system.
Construction of the dam started in 1965. Water began to fill Cochiti Lake in 1973. Before the lake was filled, experts studied the area for important historical sites. The new dam also took over the job of an older dam, the Cochiti Diversion Dam, which was used for irrigation.
Some local people, the Cochiti Pueblo Indians, were not happy about the dam. They lost a lot of their farming land when the lake was filled. They took legal action against the Army Corps of Engineers because of this.
Cochiti Lake Fun
Cochiti Lake has always had a permanent pool of water since the dam was finished. This permanent lake helps control sediment, trapping about 1,200,000 cubic meters (970 acre-feet) of sediment each year. The water for this permanent lake comes from the San Juan-Chama Project. The rest of the lake's space, about 672,000,000 cubic meters (545,000 acre-feet), is kept empty for flood control and to catch more sediment. The normal water level of the lake is about 5,335 feet (1626 meters) above sea level.
There are two public areas where people can visit the lake. One is the Cochiti Recreation Area on the west side. The other is the Tetilla Peak Recreation Area on the east side. Other parts of the land around the lake belong to the Pueblo de Cochiti Indian Reservation. These areas are not open to the public.
You can visit a special center near the park office to learn more. Fishing is allowed in the lake. You might catch fish like smallmouth bass and northern pike. Cochiti Lake is a "no-wake" lake, which means boats must go very slowly.
