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Navajo Lake
NavajoLake.JPG
Looking north. Navajo Dam is on the left side.
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Navajo Lake
Location in New Mexico
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Navajo Lake
Location in Colorado
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Location of Navajo Lake in New Mexico and Colorado, USA.
Navajo Lake
Location in the United States
Location Rio Arriba / San Juan counties in New Mexico;
Archuleta County in Colorado, United States
Coordinates 36°40′18″N 107°03′06″W / 36.67167°N 107.05167°W / 36.67167; -107.05167
Type reservoir
Primary inflows San Juan River, Piedra River
Primary outflows San Juan River
Catchment area 3,190 sq mi (8,300 km2)
Basin countries United States
Surface area 15,600 acres (63 km2)
Water volume 1,708,600 acre⋅ft (2.1075 km3)
Surface elevation 7,228 ft (2,203 m)
NMMap-doton-NavajoLake
Location of Navajo Lake within New Mexico

Navajo Lake is a very large reservoir (which is a man-made lake) located in the southwestern United States. It's mostly in New Mexico, but a small part of it reaches into Colorado. This lake is an important part of a big project that helps manage water in the San Juan River.

Navajo Lake: A Big Water Playground

Navajo Lake is a huge body of water created by people. It helps store water from the San Juan River. This stored water is used for things like watering farms (called irrigation). Eventually, this water flows all the way to the Colorado River in Utah.

Where is Navajo Lake?

This big lake is found in two counties in New Mexico: San Juan County and Rio Arriba County. A little bit of the lake also extends into Archuleta County in southern Colorado. It's a really big lake, stretching over 25 miles (40 km) long!

Building the Dam

Navajo Lake was created by building a huge structure called the Navajo Dam. This dam is made from earth and rock. It's super long, about 3,800 feet (1,200 m) across, and very tall, reaching 400 feet (120 m) high. The dam was finished in 1962. When the dam was built, it held back the river water, which then formed the large lake we see today. The lake covers an area of about 15,600-acre (63 km2).

Fun at the Lake

Navajo Lake is a popular spot for outdoor activities. Two areas near the dam in New Mexico are part of the Navajo Lake State Park. The parts of the river below the dam are also included in this state park.

Many people enjoy fishing at Navajo Lake. You can find different kinds of fish here, such as:

  • Smallmouth bass
  • Black crappie
  • Northern pike
  • Channel catfish
  • Trout
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