Riverside Diversion Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Riverside Diversion Dam |
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 Location of Riverside Diversion Dam in Texas
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| Country | United States |
| Location | El Paso, Texas |
| Coordinates | 31°39′29″N 106°19′49″W / 31.658151°N 106.330139°W |
| Purpose | Irrigation |
| Opening date | 1928 |
| Demolition date | 1987 |
| Owner(s) | Bureau of Reclamation |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Diversion dam |
| Elevation at crest | 3,621 feet (1,104 m) |
| Width (crest) | 267 feet (81 m) |
The Riverside Diversion Dam was a special kind of dam on the Rio Grande river. It was located southeast of El Paso, Texas. This dam was built to send water into the Riverside Canal. Farmers in the El Paso Valley used this water to grow their crops. The dam was owned by the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
The Riverside Dam was no longer needed after a new canal was finished. This new canal carried water from the American Diversion Dam further upstream. Parts of the Riverside Dam were removed in 2003.
Building the Riverside Dam
The Riverside Diversion Dam was the last dam in a big water project called the Rio Grande Project. It was built downstream from a dam that belonged to Mexico.
The dam was finished in 1928. It was made of concrete and had special gates to control the water. It was about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of El Paso. The dam was about 17.5 feet (5.3 m) tall. Its top was 267 feet (81 m) long. The top of the dam was 3,621 feet (1,104 m) above sea level.
The dam had six gates that could open and close. These gates helped control extra water. The dam could send a lot of water downstream. It could also send about 900 cubic feet per second (25 m3/s) of water into the Riverside Canal. This was done using five other gates. From 1928 to 1998, the El Paso County usually sent about 194,387 acre-feet (239,773,000 m3) of water into the Riverside Canal each year.
The American Dam and Canal
In 1935, the United States built the American Dam. This dam was important for sharing water with Mexico. It measured Mexico's share of the Rio Grande water. This water then continued down the river. The rest of the water was sent into a new canal called the American Canal.
The American Canal was about 2 miles (3.2 km) long. It carried water to the Franklin Canal. This water was used to irrigate the El Paso valley, which is about 90 miles (140 km) long. Later, in the late 1990s, a new part of the American Canal was built. This new part was lined with cement. It sent water directly into the Riverside Canal, close to the Riverside Dam.
Why the Dam Was Removed
The Riverside Diversion Dam broke on June 9, 1987. This happened because of a flood in the Rio Grande. After the new American Canal extension was built, there was not much reason to rebuild the Riverside Dam.
In September 2003, parts of the broken dam were removed. This was done to help control floods better in the Rio Grande. Many groups worked together on this project. These groups included the Bureau of Reclamation and the International Boundary and Water Commission.
