Red Bluff History
90 Years of History
Red Bluff Dam and Reservoir is located on the Pecos River eight miles below the Texas-New Mexico state line and takes its name from the red bluffs along the river. The reservoir was created to impound water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. In 1933, the construction of Red Bluff Dam and Reservoir was approved by the U.S. Public Works Administration and construction began in November of 1934. The project was completed two years later in September 1936. In June 1937, floods filled the reservoir, and it has since been used for supplying irrigation water to seven water improvement and irrigation districts downstream.
The reservoir was built with three main sections: the main embankment across the river, an emergency fixed-crest spillway lying west of the main dam, and a concrete gate-controlled spillway located in a cut west of the emergency spillway. The reservoir can hold 310,000 acre-feet of water. The dam is 9,230 feet long, with a maximum height of approximately 106 feet, and a top width of 25 feet.
1934
Preconstruction
In 1933, the construction of Red Bluff Dam and Reservoir was approved by the U.S. Public Works Administration. In March of 1934 before construction began on Red Bluff Reservoir teams performed tests and surveys in the area.