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caused flooding and other damage to Bonito Lake and the surrounding area. The lake was closed to fishing since that time, and the campgrounds around the lake were also closed. The fire caused severe erosion in the watershed above the lake, and the lake was contaminated with sediment and ash from the
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to allow them to build another, larger dam along Bonito Creek. The engineers who surveyed the canyon determined that the best place to build a dam would be downstream from the town of Bonito, across a narrow spot in the canyon. This location would allow the dam to contain the water of two streams
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which merged just above the dam. This location, however, meant that the town of Bonito would be flooded by the dam's lake. The people living in Bonito were given land further down the canyon, and the entire town was moved downstream to a new location.
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On
September 26, 2017 the Alamogordo city commissioners approved an $ 8.6 million contract to drain, dredge, and restore the lake. The city engineer estimated that it would take about 24 months for the work to be completed and the lake reopened.
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As of 2011, Alamogordo still owned the dam and lake, but all of the land around the lake is a part of the
Lincoln National Forest. The lake and the surrounding mountains have been popular for fishing, camping, and hiking.
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to provide water for the steam trains of the era. The remnants of the original dam and pieces of the wooden pipeline are still visible to hikers along the trail in South Fork Canyon.
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fire. In the summer of 2015 engineers began the process of draining the lake in order to dredge it. The expected reopen date was unknown, but may be as late as 2019 or 2020.
335:, which needed a reliable water supply to provide the town's drinking water. A 90-mile (140 km) pipeline was built to Alamogordo's "La Luz" water treatment plant.
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caused severe erosion in the watershed above the lake, flooding and the lake was contaminated with sediment and ash. In 2015 the lake was drained in order to dredge it.
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had been replaced by diesel electric locomotives, and the railroad no longer needed the water from the lake. The railroad sold the lake to the city of
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built a small dam in South Fork Canyon, upstream from the current dam. From that dam they extended a wooden pipeline 132 miles (212 km) to
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as their primary water source. Because of the high altitude, the lake's temperature is cold year round, and is home to an abundance of
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The dam was completed in 1931, and by 1933 the lake was completely filled. At full capacity, the lake contains 1,500
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By the 1920s, the railroad needed even more water, and they petitioned the
Government of
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242:. It is a popular fishing and camping destination, and although it is surrounded by the
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402:"U.S. lawmakers move urgently to recognize survivors of the first atomic bomb test"
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Bonito Lake lies within the estimated radioactive fallout zone of the 1945
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Seventy-Five Years of
Progress - The Southern Pacific Railroad (1869-1944)
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U.S. Geological Survey
Geographic Names Information System: Bonito Lake
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513:"Commission awards $ 8.6 million contract for Bonito Lake restoration"
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Killings Began Town's Slide, Lake Later
Finished It Off
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Buildings and structures in
Lincoln County, New Mexico
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559:Protected areas of Lincoln County, New Mexico
554:Bodies of water of Lincoln County, New Mexico
430:CITY OF ALAMOGORDO 40-YEAR WATER SUPPLY PLAN
258:with hiking trails and streams. The 2012
529:History article about the town of Bonito
499:"Bonito Lake reopening possible in 2020"
254:. The area around the lake has several
312:; it was a water source for towns like
16:Reservoir in Lincoln County, New Mexico
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92:Show map of the United States
408:. 2021-09-21. Archived from
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205:2,800 ft (850 m)
106:Lincoln County, New Mexico
435:October 14, 2007, at the
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549:Reservoirs in New Mexico
569:Lincoln National Forest
272:Lincoln National Forest
244:Lincoln National Forest
238:mountains northwest of
333:Alamogordo, New Mexico
248:Alamogordo, New Mexico
213:70 ft (21 m)
135:33.45583°N 105.73167°W
62:Show map of New Mexico
412:on September 21, 2021
327:By the 1950s, steam
234:located high in the
140:33.45583; -105.73167
406:National Geographic
288:Pastura, New Mexico
240:Ruidoso, New Mexico
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280:water rights
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182:Bonito Creek
170:Bonito Creek
329:locomotives
256:campgrounds
228:Bonito Lake
202:Max. length
138: /
126:105°43′54″W
113:Coordinates
86:Bonito Lake
56:Bonito Lake
22:Bonito Lake
543:Categories
484:2011-06-05
459:2011-06-05
416:2023-08-02
360:References
318:Alamogordo
305:of water.
295:New Mexico
210:Max. depth
123:33°27′21″N
347:The 2012
314:Carrizozo
303:acre-feet
232:reservoir
157:reservoir
433:Archived
375:Archived
284:railroad
102:Location
322:Ruidoso
266:History
320:, and
188:Basin
152:Type
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
