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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/40520| Title: | Environmental Assessment for Repair of the Villanueva Diversion Dam, Pecos River, San Miguel County, New Mexico |
| Authors: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Albuquerque District |
| Keywords: | San Miguel County (N.M.) Pecos River (N.M. and Tex.) Dams--Maintenance and repair Environmental management Environmental assessment |
| Publisher: | United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Albuquerque District. |
| Abstract: | This Environmental Assessment (EA) addresses the planned repair of the diversion dam for the Villanueva Southside and Northside ditches on the Pecos River in San Miguel County, New Mexico. The dam is located approximately 1.5 miles upstream from the village of Villanueva, and is within Section 7, Township 12N, Range 15E. The general location of dam is shown in Figure 1. The Villanueva Diversion Dam is a rock-filled gabion, concrete-capped structure with a crest length of approximately 143 feet, and a weir section of 110 feet. The diversion dam was built in 1992 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in 1992 (USACE 1991) The structure has a notched, step-down cross-section with a total water drop of about nine feet. The diversion dam has eroded severely on the downstream toe along its entire length. The most severe erosion is occurring at the right bank (looking downstream). The second-step gabions also are noticeably eroding and this step may soon fail. The downstream edge steel attached to the bottom gabion step is separating from the concrete. Approximately 40 feet in length of steel has separated from the downstream edge of the structure, but is still attached at one end. The gabion rock of the weir step-downs have eroded back upstream approximately five feet. The existing headwalls of the gated outlet are structurally sound and do not require rehabilitation. A temporary repair was completed within the last couple of years by the Villanueva acequia association to stabilize the weir structure with wall (Jersey) barriers placed perpendicular and parallel to the weir. The spaces between the barriers were filled with random sized boulders to help stabilize the barriers. This material has since been washed downstream. In its present condition, the dam will likely overturn as a result of the scouring and undermining of the structure if not stabilized. The dam diverts water to two ditch systems on both sides of the Pecos River. These ditch systems serve to irrigate over 500 acres of farmland for more than 80 families. These families raise various crops to include feed for animals, vegetables, and fruit trees. The crops are a significant source of income for this farming community. Losing this dam to failure or to reduced effectiveness due to disrepair would be an economic hardship for the community. |
| Description: | Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact |
| Rights: | Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited |
| URI: | https://hdl.handle.net/11681/40520 |
| Appears in Collections: | Environmental Documents |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villaneuva Diversion Dam Pecos River EA and FONSI_2014.pdf | 4.77 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |