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Amistad Dam and Powerplants

Under supervision of the International Boundary and Water Commission, United States & Mexico

U.S. Powerplant

  • Average Annual U.S. generation - 161 million kilowatt hours
  • Design - 176 feet (53.6 m)
  • Maximum Net Operating Head - 234 feet (71.3 m)
  • Minimum Net Operating - 115 feet (35 m)
  • Francis type high head turbine. Plant also equipped with a low head turbine with a design head of 150 feet (45.7 m) to operate to a minimum of 98 feet (29.9 m) head.
  • Normal tailwater elevation - 906 feet (276.1 m) mean sea level
  • Normal flow through turbines - 2,300 cubic feet per second (65 cubic meters per second)
  • Turbine - Generator Shaft diameter - 25 inches (635 cm)
  • Turbine - Generator Speed-200 r.p.m.
  • Generator voltage - 13,800 volts
  • Transmission line voltage - 138,000 volts
  • Powerhouse road and deck elevation - 930 feet (283.5 m) mean sea level
  • Bridge Crane Capacity - 250,000 pounds (113.4 mt)
  • Two units: Generators - 33,000 kW each; Turbines - 42,300 horsepower each

Mexico Powerplant

Similar to U.S. Powerplant with equal generating capacity

Dam

Location - on the Rio Grande, 12 river miles (19kilometers) northwest of Del Rio, Texas, 574 river miles (924 kilometers) above the mouth of the Rio Grande, and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) below confluence of the Devils River.

Purpose - Flood control, water conservation, hydroelectric power, and recreation.

Constructed by U.S. and Mexico pursuant to Water Treaty of 1944. Dam constructed 1963-1969. U.S. powerplant constructed 1980-1983. Mexico's powerplant constructed 1981-1987.

Dedicated by President Richard Nixon of U.S. and President Diaz Ordaz of Mexico, September 8, 1969.

Type - Concrete gravity section in river channel with flanking earth embankilometersents.

Length:

  • U.S. 9,585 feet (2,921 m)
  • Mexico 22,437 feet (6,839 m)
  • Total 32,022 feet (9,760 m)

Height: Roadway is 254 feet (77.4 m) above riverbed and 1,152.3 feet (351.2 m) above mean sea level.

Construction Features of Amistad Dam:

  • Rock excavation - 3,100,000 cubic yards (2,370,000cubic meters)
  • Embankilometersent - 13,5000,000 cubic yards (10,320,000 cubic meters)
  • Riprap - 1,755,000 cubic yards (1,340,000 cubic meters)
  • Concrete - 1,800,000 cubic yards (1,375,000 cubic meters)
  • Reinforcing steel - 6,000 tons (5,400, mt)
  • Structural steel - 6,500 tons (5,900 mt)
  • Cost-$72,318,000 - U.S. Share of Dam; $30,894,000 - U.S. powerplant
  • Relocations: Southern Pacific Railroad - 14.3 miles (23 kilometers) of main line track and Devils River Railroad Bridge. Highways - 19 miles (31 kilometers) of U.S. Highways 90 and 277 and Devils River and Sand Pedro Canyon Bridges.

Reservoir

Capacity
in acre-feet in cubic meters x 1000
Superstorage 407,000 (502,000)
Flood Control 1,744,000 (2,151,200)
Silt & Conservation 3,384,000 (4,174,000)

Elevation (mean sea level) Area
in Feet in Meters in Acres in Hectares
Maximum water surface 1,144.3 (348.78) 89,000 (36,000)
Top of normal flood control pool 1,140.4 (347.59) 84,000 (34,000)
Top of conservation pool 1,117.0 (340.46) 65,000 (26,300)
Lowest water outlet 930.0 (283.46) 700 ( 280)

Spillway

  • Discharge capacity 1,507,000 cubic feet per second (42,670 cubic meters per second)
  • Ogee type crest with 16 tainter gates: 50 feet X 54 feet (15.2 m x 16.5 m.)
  • Crest elevation 1,086.4 feet (331.13 m)
  • Stilling basin-horizontal apron, hydraulic jump type: 950 feet (289.6 m) wide, 226.75 feet (69.113 m ) long

Penstocks

U.S. - Five Penstocks; 14.5 feet (4.42 m) diameter with sill elevation 930.0 feet (283.36 m.)

Mexico - Four Penstocks; 15.75 feet (4.80 m) diameter with sill elevation 965.22 feet (294.30 m).

Highway distances to the Dam from points in:

United States

  • Del Rio - 13 miles (21 kilometers)
  • San Antonio - 167 miles (269 kilometers)
  • Austin - 245 miles (394 kilometers)
  • San Angelo - 170 miles (274 kilometers)
  • Dallas - 441 miles (710 kilometers)

Mexico

  • Ciudad Acuna - 14 miles (23 kilometers)
  • Piedras Negras - 68 miles (109 kilometers)
  • Nuevo Laredo - 183 miles (295 kilometers)
  • Monterey - 398 miles (641 kilometers)
  • Matamoros - 413 miles (665 kilometers)

Legend

ft feet
r.p.m. revolutions per minute
kW kilowatts
m meters
mt metric ton

This web page was adapted from a pamplet prepared by the International Boundary and Water Commission.