BLM Las Cruces Uses Great American Outdoors Act Money to Repair Apache Dam

The Bureau of Land Management Las Cruces District continues to make progress toward the completion of a water and utilities project at Apache Dam through money received via the Great American Outdoors Act.  This $140,000 Apache Dam repair project will focus on downstream embankment repairs and implementing a new trash rack to stop clogging and concrete repairs at the outlet and the secondary spillway.  The Dam was built for irrigational and flood control purposes and over years of neglect in upkeep, repairs were warranted to prevent an overtopping event.

The Dam is in the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument in the Robledo Mountains near the Picacho Peak Recreation Area. The dam is an important part of Las Cruces history having been built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) nearly a century ago.  During the 1930s, the CCC emerged during the Great Depression to develop and conserve the nation’s natural resources and to create jobs. Men between the ages of 18-25 were employed with a monthly paycheck of $30.  

Camp BR-39 was one of four CCC camps established for the Rio Grande Project. The Camp’s men were involved in the construction of Apache Dam, which they completed in 1936. Apache Dam is a retention dam built to catch and slow down water from seasonal monsoonal rains that fall in the Robledo Mountains. Prior to the construction of Apache Dam and other related water control features around Las Cruces by the CCC (such as Box Canyon Dam and the check dams off Baylor Canyon Road), the Rio Grande Valley and the city of Las Cruces were prone to seasonal flooding that caused significant damage to local farmland and property. The Dam is an excellent example of the superb construction techniques and the distinct architectural style of the CCC.

The current project consists of an installation of a riser pipe to allow water to drain and sediment to deposit upstream.  Also, the addition of a trash rack will help stop the outlet from clogging and allow water to continue to drain.  So far, the riser and the trash rack have been installed. The next phase for completion is concrete maintenance to preserve the structure.