Some 200 dams in New Mexico are rated to be in poor condition, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are a disaster waiting to happen.
Crumbling infrastructure is avoidable, though, and legislators, the governor and our congressional delegation must do their utmost to lessen the danger. Find state and federal dollars dedicated to infrastructure projects and fix the dams.
This could save lives, as more than 170 of the 500 dams in the state have potential to cause âloss of lifeâ upon failure, the New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee was told last week.
Without funding and resources, the Office of the State Engineerâs Charles Thompson told legislators the problem could âturn into a catastrophe.â Thompson, chief of the Dam Safety Bureau, said the dams can be cleaned, updated and made safe. But the cost is expensive, at least $300 million.