Falcon Dam and Powerplants
Under supervision of the International Boundary and Water Commission United States & Mexico
Dam
- Location: 80 miles southeast of Laredo, Texas, 30 miles southeast of Zapata, Texas, 150 miles above the mouth of the Rio Grande.
- Purpose: Flood control, conservation, and hydroelectric power.
- Type: Rolled earth fill embankment.
- Constructed by United States and Mexico pursuant to Water Treaty of 1944.
- Dedicated October 9, 1953.
- Length:
- U.S. - 10,133 feet
- Mexico - 16,161 feet
- Total - 26,294 feet
- Height - 150 feet above river bed.
- Crest elevation - 323.0 feet above mean sea level.
- Maximum width at base - 1,000 feet
- Width at top - 35 feet
- Construction Features of Falcon Dam:
- Earth fill - 12,600,000 cubic yards
- Riprap - 360,000 cubic yards
- Concrete - 282,000 cubic yards
- Reinforcing steel - 10,300 tons
- River closure made December 29, 1952
- Cost: $35,000,0000 U.S. share
- Construction started December 15, 1950 and completed April 8, 1954
- First power generated commercially - October 11, 1954
- U.S. flood control benefits to January 1, 1986 approximately $130 million.
Reservoir
- Elevation: 314.2 maximum water surface
- 306.7 top of normal flood control pool
- 301.2 top of conservation pool
- 203.33 lowest water outlet for downstream use.
- Storage capacity-1972 survey
- Superstorage - 801,000 acre feet
- Flood Control - 509,000 acre feet
- Conservation & Silt - 2,668,000 acre feet
- Total - 3,978,000 acre feet
- Impoundment of lake began August 25, 1953
- Area (top of conservation - elevation 301.2)87,000 acres
- Area (maximum elevation of 314.2) 115,400 acres
- 100 acre feet dead storage below elevation 203.33
Spillway
- Crest Elevation - 256.7
- Ogee type crest with 6-50' x 50' fixed wheel gates
- Crest width at gates - 350 feet
- Width at stilling basin - 600 feet
- Chute length - 1,300 feet
- Discharge capacity - 456,000 cfs at reservoir elevation 314.2
- Top of gates elevation - 306.7
Penstocks
- United States - 4-13' diameter
- Mexico - 1-22' diameter, 4-13' diameter branches
Generators
- United States and Mexico - 3-10,500 kW at each plant
Turbines
- United States and Mexico - 3-14,750 hp at each plant, Francis type
- (Ultimate installation provides for four units in each powerhouse)
Highway distances to the Dam from points in:
- United States
- Austin - 305 miles
- Brownsville - 130 miles
- Corpus Christi - 177 miles
- Laredo - 80 Miles
- San Antonio - 229 miles
- Zapata - 30 miles
- Mexico
- Ciudad Victoria - 273 miles
- Matamoros - 131 miles
- Monterrey - 96 miles
- Neuvo Laredo - 76 miles
- Saltillo - 149 miles
This web page was adapted from a pamphlet prepared by the International Boundry and Water Commission.