El Vado Dam to undergo extensive repairs to prevent leaks

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Major repairs to a northern New Mexico dam will mean irrigation water will have to be stored elsewhere. Repairs on El Vado Dam are slated to start next spring. That will leave the lake in Rio Arriba County far below capacity and unusable for at least a year. Page Pegram of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission says Abiquiu Lake is the most likely backup for irrigation in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plans to fix the dam’s foundation and spillway, among other things. The dam was built in the 1930s.