‘ONE OF NATURE’S JEWELS’
Work on Morphy Lake dam is nearing completion; lake may open to public in June/July
MORA — Tucked up on a hill near Mora is a mountain oasis surrounded by snowy peaks.
Morphy Lake isn’t quite ready to be opened to the public just yet, but it might be by the start of the summer when construction of a new dam is complete.
“It’s a beautiful place,” Joe Pacheco said while taking in the scenery around him. “People just love to come up here, because it’s real tranquil. I just love to see those peaks up there. They’re breathtaking. This is one of the prettiest lakes in the county.”
Pacheco, president of the Acequia de la San Jose, has been working hard to secure funds to fix the Morphy Lake Dam, which was deemed a public hazard by the Office of the State Engineer in February 2015, and the finish line now is within sight.
The lake and its surroundings are a state park for fishing, camping and picnicking, but it’s also used by the Acequia de la San Jose and Acequia de la Isla for irrigation. The park,
closed since construction on the new dam began in October, could open again in June or July.
The dam was originally created by local farmers in the 1890s. The lake has since been rented to the state for public use — and as a way for the local acequias to make money.
The project started about 10 years
ago when Pacheco and state Sen. Pete Campos, D-Las Vegas, wanted to fix an inoperable flood gate. After several state inspections, the Office of the State Engineer declared the dam a hazard that threatened “life and property,” according to a letter the OSE sent to the acequias in 2015. There were concerns that houses in Ledoux, a small settlement downhill from the lake, would be flooded and damaged, Pacheco said.
So Campos started seeking state money to fix the dam. He eventually secured $2 million from the Legislature and another nearly $1.1 million as a grant/loan from the state Water Trust Board. The acequias have to pay back $120,000 to the Water Trust Board, Pacheco said.
“It’s going to continue to be one of nature’s jewels in that part of the state,” Campos said in an interview.
The lake has been closed to the public for nearly a year, Campos said, and construction of the dam is nearly complete.
“What you see now is what’s been accomplished since then,” Pacheco said at the dam’s construction site last week. “It’s going to be beautiful when it’s done. These guys are doing quality work.”
Pacheco said the acequias have to guarantee the state that there’s at least 150 acrefeet of water in the lake at all times for public enjoyment. For now, the water level in the lake remains relatively low as crews continue to build the new dam, but it will be filled back up when the project is complete.
“The public can use it, and we use it for irrigation, so it’s a win-win situation,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco had a little trouble keeping up on the short hike to where the dam was being built, but he was still happy to show people around.
“Sorry, I’m out of shape,” he said as he was catching up.
He claims to only be 17 years old (“I reverse in numbers,” he said with a chuckle), but seeing the dam to completion won’t be his final community improvement effort in the Mora area. “I won’t quit until the good Lord calls me,” he said. “I have a lot to offer to the community, and I’m going to do that.
“I love the people in this area, and they love me back. They fight with me and everything, and I just love that. It makes me feel welcome.”