Southwest Laguna Grande Dam dam
Southwest Laguna Grande Dam
The Southwest Laguna Grande Dam, located in Malaga, New Mexico, is a significant earth dam standing at 9 feet high and spanning 5860 feet in length. Completed in 2009, it serves as a crucial water resource structure along the Pecos River, with a storage capacity of 39,800 acre-feet and a surface area of 4710 acres. Despite its poor condition assessment and significant hazard potential, the dam is regulated by the Office of the State Engineer and undergoes regular inspections to ensure public safety.
Managed by a private entity, the Southwest Laguna Grande Dam is designed by Golder Associates and plays a vital role in water management and flood control within Eddy County. The dam's uncontrolled spillway, with a width of 30 feet, can handle a maximum discharge of 350 cubic feet per second. Although it faces moderate risk and requires attention to risk management measures, the dam's presence provides essential irrigation and conservation benefits to the region, contributing to sustainable water resource practices.
With Xochitl Torres Small (D) as the representative for the area, the Southwest Laguna Grande Dam stands as a critical infrastructure project that highlights the intersection of water resource management and climate resilience in New Mexico. As enthusiasts of water resources and climate change, understanding and supporting the maintenance and improvement of structures like the Southwest Laguna Grande Dam is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of water systems in the region.
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 Southwest Laguna Grande Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Pecos River Near Malaga | 69 cfs | → |
| Pecos River At Pierce Canyon Crossing | 38 cfs | → |
| Black River Above Malaga | 14 cfs | → |
| Pecos River Below Dark Canyon At Carlsbad | 8 cfs | → |
| Dark Canyon At Carlsbad | · | → |
| Pecos River At Red Bluff | 59 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Southwest Laguna Grande Dam.
Boat launches
Campgrounds
- Windmill Rv Park
- The Pecos River Corridor Dispersed
- Alkali Lake Ohv Dispersed
- Dark Canyon Dispersed
- Avalon Resevoir Campground
- Hackberry Lake Ohv Dispersed
Paddle runs
- Headwaters In Sec 12, T25s, R22e To Payne Canyon In Sec 1, T25s, R22e
- 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
- 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
- Headwaters Of Horse Spring In Sec 13, T25s, R22e To Confluence Of Horse Spring And Horse Canyon In Sec 11, T25s, R22e
Track Southwest Laguna Grande 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 Southwest Laguna Grande Dam
Where does the data for Southwest Laguna Grande 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 Significant 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 Southwest Laguna Grande Dam.