The Percha Diversion Dam is a structure built in 1918 on the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

, United States. It diverts water from the

into the Rincon Valley Main Canal, an irrigation canal.

Location

Percha Diversion Dam was completed on the Rio Grande in 1918, 21 miles south of

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico Truth or Consequences (founded as Hot Springs) is a city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Sierra County. In 2020, the population was 6,052. It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names for having chosen t ...

. It is two miles downstream from

Caballo Dam Caballo Dam is an earthen dam on the Rio Grande about downstream from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, United States. In conjunction with Elephant Butte Dam, which lies about upstream, it regulates the discharge of the river in the lower Rio ...

, which was built in 1938. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The dam is accessible within the Percha Dam State Park, which is considered one of the top five bird-watching sites in New Mexico.

Structure

The dam is a reinforced concrete weir, long and tall. When the embankment wings are included the crest is long. The dam includes eight

Tainter gate The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for its inventor, the Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter. Tainter, an employee of the lumber firm Knapp, ...

s that lift the level of the river above its normal elevation so it can be diverted into the canal.

Downstream canal

Percha Diversion Dam diverts the stored water into the long Rincon Valley Main Canal, which carries water to irrigate lands in the Rincon Valley between Truth or Consequences and

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; ; lit. 'the crosses') is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the county seat, seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 United States ce ...

. The Rincon canal crosses over the Rio Grande in the Garfield Flume, and under the river in the Hatch and Rincon siphons.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Dams in New Mexico Buildings and structures in Sierra County, New Mexico Dams completed in 1918 United States local public utility dams Dams on the Rio Grande 1918 establishments in New Mexico

Location

Structure

Downstream canal

See also

References