August 24th, 2017
We left Elephant Butte on Tuesday the 22nd of August, wanting to get out of the heat. We were headed up to Abiquiu to enjoy the dam and hopefully get some respite from 99 degree temps. Stopping for gas at the Santo Domingo Pueblo for gas, Patti saw the sign for Cochiti Lake and said, “Why don’t we check it out?” I said, “OK” and turned the truck and camper west on Hwy 22 instead of heading back north on I-25.
Cochiti Lake is only 11 miles west of the Santo Domingo Pueblo and 17 miles southwest of Santa Fe, so if we didn’t like it we could proceed up to Abiquiu…
Cochiti Lake
History
Cochiti Lake is located on the Rio Grande about 50 miles upstream from Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Rio Grande is the fifth longest river in North America, and among the 20 longest rivers of the world. From its origin high in the Rocky Mountains, it travels 1,900 miles and drops more than two miles before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
Cochiti Lake borrows its name from the people that have occupied the present site continuously for over seven hundred years. Cochiti Dam operates in concert with three other Corps of Engineers flood and sediment control projects – Galisteo, Jemez Canyon and Abiquiu Dam.
Cochiti is one of the 10 largest earth fill dams in the US. It stretches 5.5 miles and rises 251 feet to impound the water of the Rio Grande and Santa Fe Rivers. The control tower is equivalent in height to a 20-story building. Construction of Cochiti Dam was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1960. The present day site was not the one originally considered. In the 1940’s, the San Felipe site downstream from Cochiti, showed promise for a dam. The plan, however, required the removal of the entire Pueblo of Santo Domingo to higher ground and condemnation of farmland in both villages. The idea was removed from consideration in 1943.
In November 1965, a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and entered into between the Corps of Engineers and the Cochiti Pueblo. Originally, the dam was authorized for flood and sediment control. However, the state of New Mexico and county officials expressed interest in a permanent pool for fish and wildlife enhancement and other recreational purposes. Congress then authorized Cochiti Lake to include additional surface acres for this purpose. The dam was constructed between 1965 and 1975 at a cost of $94.4 million.
Two recreation areas, one on each side of the lake, offer opportunities for camping, picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, nature study, and other forms of outdoor recreation. Cochiti is a “No-Wake” lake. Motorized water craft are permitted to operate at idle speeds only. This means that canoeists, kayakers, sail-boaters and windsurfers will find the quiet waters of Cochiti a cool and refreshing place to enjoy their favorite sport. Fisher-people will find a variety of species; including trout, northern pike, walleye, bass, catfish, & bluegill.
Cochiti Campground
We pulled into the campground, finally, since the signage was not all that great. NO signs for the campground only for the lake and boat ramp. Nonetheless, we found the campground and were able to get the last un-reservable spot. There are several loops in the park with only 2 sites per loop that are not reservable – lucky us!
We unhooked the camper and settled into space #55, for we decided to stay through Labor Day, as it would be difficult to obtain a site due to ‘last hurrah’ camping for the holiday. We have a site that looks down on the lake, but not the best view in the park – we did take note of which reservable sites we liked, overlooking the lake, for the next time we come. Reservations need to be made at least 4 days prior to arrival, but most of the time we don’t have any trouble finding a spot and have never had to find another campground for the night, or park in a Walmart parking lot…
It is a very nice campground and has very clean facilities, including showers. The lake is a bit too far for Patti to walk, so we drive down to the water’s edge to put our “toes in the water”… aah: delightful, clean, warm water!
I don’t like to drive too much the day after we travel to a new adventure spot, so after a couple of days “off” we venture out to look for the Golf Course and the Stone Kiva Grill. The golf course is beautiful with 2 separate 9-hole courses. Patti and I are not golfers, but we did enjoy the Stone Kiva Grill several times, for breakfast and lunch. The Grill closes at 5:30pm so we go for a late lunch – early dinner around 3pm for a “treat” some days. The golf course and restaurant are part of the Reservation and right on the Rio Grand. We were surprised how green it was, but then, it IS a golf course.
Nearby, there is a mini-market with a gas station ($2.04/gallon – until Harvey hit and overnight it shot up to $2.36/gallon), and a laundry facility. The laundry facility was not operational when we first arrived due to a broken pipe, but now it is fixed and we will make good use of it – as we never know when we will be near a laundromat.
We had several great sunset at Cochiti Lake but sadly it was due to the fires in New Mexico and the surrounding states, thankfully now they are ALL out!
gypsyroadgallery 
Thanks for the local cochiti history.
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