Doña Ana County Flood Control Project
in La Union, NM

4/17/25
In 2021, residents in La Union experienced a massive storm that dropped over six inches of rain in 36 hours. At that time, existing dams had no designed embankments, as they were just compacted berms built by farmers 60+ years ago to protect fields from sediment. This storm caused the dam to overtop in one location and completely breach in another. Both contributed to catastrophic flooding in La Union.

Since then, the Doña Ana Flood Commission, in collaboration with Smith Engineering Company, has developed a comprehensive 7-phase plan to improve flood control and protect the community. Phase 1, now under construction, includes repairing the breached dam with a hard-armored emergency spillway and creating a 23-acre, 10-foot deep retention pond to manage water flow before it reaches residential areas

These efforts mark a significant step toward long-term flood prevention for La Union!

Contractor: Renegade Construction LLC

Construction Budget: ~$1.4 million

Estimated Timeline: March 2025 – August 2025

Original post by: Doña Ana County