Bluewater Lake State Park, at 7,400 feet, lies in Las Tuces Valley near the Continental Divide in the Zuni Mountains. These mountains create the southern boundary of the San Juan Basin. The mountains form the core of an elongated structural dome that was created by regional compressional tectonics during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary periods. The SJB area is known for oil, natural gas, uranium, and coal production.
The oldest exposed rocks in the park are identified as Permian Glorieta Sandstone that was deposited approximately 245–268 million years ago. Outcroppings are found along the bottom of Bluewater Creek canyon and the hillslopes south of the lake. The Glorieta Sandstone is comprised of massive, white to buff to yellow, quartz sandstones that are erosion resistant and form steep cliffs and hillslopes. Some consist of very pure quartz.
Rugged surfaces and small caves exist in the San Andres limestone along Bluewater Creek.
Ownership of the 25 miles of shoreline is shared by the State of New Mexico, private individuals, Native American tribes including the Navajo Nation, and the U.S. Forest Service. The lake surface is open for public use.
The Navajos knew the area as “large cottonwood trees where water flows out.” It became a state park in 1955. Bluewater and Cottonwood (Azul) Creeks feed the lake. The lake itself is formed by an arched dam 90 feet high and 500 feet long that impounds 38,500 acre-feet of water. The last time water spilled over the dam was in 1941. The dam is convex in the upstream direction for increased strength, and it is at the mouth of Bluewater Creek in a steep-walled canyon. There is no stratigraphic evidence of a former natural lake in Las Tuces Valley, according to state park officials.
Water Resources
The Bluewater-Toltec Irrigation District built a concrete arch dam, 80-foot-high and 500 feet in length, in 1925. This created Bluewater Lake, which has an average surface of 3,021 acres at the spillway crest.
The goal was to provide water to irrigate 6,000 acres of arid land and develop it into farmland.
It was built across two cliff walls of solid rock created by Bluewater Creek. Water runoff from the Zuni Mountains drains into the lake, but the drainage area is small and relatively low in elevation.
The Bluewater-Toltec Irrigation District maintains the lake at a minimum pool of 320 surface acres, which is sufficient to provide for most recreational uses. The lake’s average surface area is 1,500 acres.
Creating a state park
The State of New Mexico purchased 160 acres of land in 1937 for the purpose of establishing a state park at Bluewater Lake. The State Game Commission operated the park from 1949-55. The State Parks and Recreation Commission assumed operational/oversight responsibilities in 1955. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management granted the park 236.64 acres for recreational use in 1958 and donated an additional 117.96 acres in 1962.
Park visitation has fluctuated from 5,210 to 77,587 people annually between 2001-2015. Visitation depends in large part on the water level and seasonal fishing conditions. Behind the dam, Bluewater Creek flows through Bluewater Canyon, which is a scenic tourist attraction.