Cass Draw Site 1 Dam dam
Cass Draw Site 1 Dam
Cass Draw Site 1 Dam, also known as Big Cass Draw Site 1, is a critical infrastructure owned by the local government in Loving, New Mexico. Built in 1969 by USDA NRCS, this earth dam stands at a height of 27 feet and has a structural height of 37 feet. Its primary purpose is flood risk reduction along the Cass Draw river, with a storage capacity of 4,275 acre-feet and a drainage area of 34 square miles.
Despite its importance in mitigating flood risks, Cass Draw Site 1 Dam is classified as having a high hazard potential and poor condition assessment. The last inspection in January 2019 revealed the dam's deteriorating state, prompting a moderate risk assessment with a rating of 3. With a spillway width of 800 feet and uncontrolled outlet gates, the dam poses a potential threat to downstream areas in the event of a breach.
The dam is under the regulatory oversight of the Office of the State Engineer in New Mexico, with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place. As climate change continues to impact water resources, the maintenance and rehabilitation of Cass Draw Site 1 Dam will be crucial to ensuring the safety and resilience of the surrounding communities against future flood events.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Cass Draw Site 1 Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Black River Above Malaga | 14 cfs | → |
| Dark Canyon At Carlsbad | · | → |
| Pecos River Below Dark Canyon At Carlsbad | 8 cfs | → |
| Dark Canyon Draw Near Whites City | · | → |
| Pecos River Near Malaga | 69 cfs | → |
| Pecos River Below Avalon Dam | · | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cass Draw Site 1 Dam.
Boat launches
Campgrounds
- Windmill Rv Park
- Dark Canyon Dispersed
- Avalon Resevoir Campground
- Alkali Lake Ohv Dispersed
- Parks Ranch Dispersed
- The Pecos River Corridor Dispersed
Paddle runs
- Confluence Of Turkey Canyon And Robinson Draw (Sec 33, T24s, R22e) To Confluence Of Turkey And Dark Canyons In Sec 26, T24s, R22e
- Eastern Boundary Of Private Land In Sec 2, T25s, R22e To Confluence Of Turkey And Dark Canyons In Sec 26, T24s, R22e
- Headwaters In Sec 12, T25s, R22e To Payne Canyon In Sec 1, T25s, R22e
- Confluence Of Horse Canyon Headwaters In Sec 11, T25s, R22e To Confluence Of Horse And Payne Canyons In Sec 1, T25s, R22e
- Headwaters Of Side Channel In Sec 12, T25s, R22e To Horse Canyon In Sec 2, T25s, R22e
- Eastern Boundary Of Private Land Along Sitting Bull Canyon In Sec 19, T24s, R22e To Eastern Nf Boundary
Track Cass Draw Site 1 Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Cass Draw Site 1 Dam
Where does the data for Cass Draw Site 1 Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Cass Draw Site 1 Dam.