2020-05-19: The Two-Mile Pond east of Santa Fe
Before leaving the Sangre de Cristo Foothills the Santa Fe River encounters two dams, Nichols and McLure, completed in the 1940s. The flow of water below these reservoirs is highly regulated, depending on availability and the water rights of downstream owners, including the City of Santa Fe. The amount of water which is allocated to the lower part of the river, below the dams, varies considerably, from nothing to highly significant. The Two-Mile Pond shown on this image was the site of a much earlier earth dam built in 1881. It is part of the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy as a wildlife area. A trail follows the contour of the pond which is part of the 20-mile (32 km) Dale Ball Foothill Trail System. The Two-Mile Pond is easily accessible from a nearby parking lot at the intersection of Upper Canyon Road and Cerro Gordo.