By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
In 1994 the New Mexico State Engineer’s office told Springer city officials that they had to get a new dam or one day they wouldn’t have any water for the town 22 years later a new dam has replaced the old one.
The new dam west of Springer replaces two smaller, older dams which were listed by OSE as most likely to fail. Those dams no longer met federal and state safety guidelines. It became a critical infrastructure need for the Town of Springer as the reservoirs were the only source of drinking water for Springer residents. Soon the process began and six years later with the cooperation of many a new dam was completed.
The State Water Trust Board helped with the funding by providing $732,000 in a grant loan for matching funds to the over $6 million in capital outlay funds from the state. Construction began on the dam in August of 2014 by RCMI of Albuquerque. The massive project was completed in March of 2016 and was officially dedicated May 2, 2016 at a dedication ceremony held at the Springer Museum with the official ribbon cutting held on the walkway to the valves at the dam.
