Amistad Dam
 Amistad Dam | |
| Country | United States / Mexico |
|---|---|
| Location | Val Verde County, Texas / Acuña Municipality, Coahuila |
| Coordinates | 29°27′01″N 101°03′28″W / 29.45028°N 101.05778°WCoordinates: 29°27′01″N 101°03′28″W / 29.45028°N 101.05778°W[1] |
| Status | In use |
| Construction began | 1963 |
| Opening date | 1969 |
| Construction cost | US$72,318,000 |
| Owner(s) | International Boundary and Water Commission |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earthfill |
| Impounds | Rio Grande |
| Height | 254 ft (77 m) |
| Length | 32,022 ft (9,760 m) |
| Dam volume | 17,055,000 cu yd (13,039,000 m3) |
| Spillway type | Ogee crest, 16 tainter gates |
| Spillway capacity | 1,507,000 cu ft/s (42,700 m3/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Amistad Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 5,658,600 acre·ft (6.9798 km3) |
| Surface area | 64,900 acres (26,300 ha) |
| Power station | |
| Hydraulic head | 234 ft (71 m) |
| Turbines | 9 |
| Installed capacity | 132 MW |
Amistad Dam is a large dam across the Rio Grande on the United States-Mexico border. It serves to store water for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity. The dam was first proposed in a 1944 treaty between the United States and Mexico. Construction began in 1963 and was finished in 1969, with the hydroelectric plants constructed in the 1980s. Of the dam's roughly US$72 million cost, Mexico shouldered about 4/7 of the funds and the United States about 3/7. At roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) long, the dam lies mostly on the Mexican side of the border and forms Amistad Reservoir.[2]
The dam is owned and operated by the International Boundary and Water Commission, and also facilitates the Amistad Dam Port of Entry.
References
- ↑ "Amistad Dam". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1979-11-30. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
- ↑ "Amistad Dam and Powerplants". CRSP Management Center. Western Area Power Administration. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
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