70th Anniversary of Conchas Dam

70TH ANNIVERSARY OF CONCHAS DAM -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 29, 2005)

SPEECH OF
HON. TOM UDALL
OF NEW MEXICO
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2005

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 70th anniversary of the construction of Conchas Dam, near Tucumcari in my home State of New Mexico. Built during the Depression under the Emergency Relief Act of 1935, the Conchas Dam project created jobs for thousands of New Mexicans and resulted in a structure that controls flooding, conserves water and provides irrigation to nearby farmlands. On July 29 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host an anniversary celebration and dedicate a plaque to the WPA workers who built the dam.

Located on the confluence of the Canadian and Conchas rivers, the dam is 230 feet high, 6,230 feet long and contains 836,000 cubic yards of concrete and 887,000 cubic yards of earth. Reservoir capacity is nearly 529,000 acre feet of water which covers almost 26 square miles and provides irrigation to some 42,000 acres of otherwise arid farmland. Water from Conchas Lake allows farmers to grow alfalfa hay, grain sorghum, cotton and broom corn, much of which is used to feed area livestock.

Construction on Conchas Dam started in 1935 when unemployment in New Mexico was as high as 50 percent due to the Depression. The Emergency Relief Act dictated that 90 percent of the workers must come from the relief pool so thousands of New Mexicans found employment building the dam. Workers and their families lived in tent cities near the site. After completion of the dam in 1940, many of them stayed in the community of Conchas which was a tremendous boost for the local economy.

Conchas Dam created the fourth-largest lake in New Mexico and one of the most popular water recreation sites in the state today. Conchas Lake features 60 miles of beautiful shoreline dotted with numerous coves, canyons and beaches. Tourists and locals alike enjoy fishing and boating on the reservoir and picnicking in the shadow of Conchas Dam.

Mr. Speaker, Conchas Dam is a testament to the achievements of the Works Progress Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a monument to the laborers who built it. The construction of Conchas Dam was a tremendous economic boost to New Mexico in the 30s and its value to the State today is nearly inestimable.

The 70th anniversary of the construction of Conchas Dam coincides with its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places; a fitting time to reflect on the past and look to the future with the determination and fortitude of those men who built this great dam that we honor today.

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