[Illustration: Sketch of Bottomless Lake]
Conchas Lake is one of the largest sustained bodies of water in New
Mexico. Conchas Dam, which holds the water of the Canadian River, forms
the lake. The main dam is 235 feet above the roadway and is 1250 feet in
length. At capacity it holds 600,000 acre-feet of water. The reservoir
serves many purposes: flood control, local irrigation, camping and
boating facilities, and fishing and water skiing.
The Canadian River has its origin on Raton Mesa and flows southward to
Conchas Dam, then turns abruptly eastward. On its way across the High
Plains, it cuts into some of the oldest rocks that can be seen on the
western edge of the plains, the Dockum Group of Late Triassic age. The
best place to view the earth-building processes of this region is where
State Highway 120 crosses the gorge of the Canadian River between Wagon
Mound and Roy.