Leasburg Dam State Park gets $2.9M in road, wastewater upgrades
Leasburg Dam State Park in Radium Springs is getting $2.9 million in upgrades, including road repairs, expanded parking and wastewater improvements.
The Radium Springs project includes rebuilt roads, expanded parking, wastewater improvements and restoration of the historic Dam Tender’s House.
Organ Mountain News report
RADIUM SPRINGS - A $2.9 million capital improvement project is bringing road, wastewater and historic preservation upgrades to Leasburg Dam State Park in the Mesilla Valley.
The project includes rebuilt and repaved roads, expanded parking, a modernized wastewater system and restoration of the historic Dam Tender’s House, according to New Mexico State Parks. The work is part of a broader capital improvement campaign that has invested more than $200 million in facility and infrastructure upgrades at state parks since 2021.
“For Radium Springs and the surrounding area, Leasburg Dam State Park is a gathering place — a home base — for families, school groups and generations of New Mexicans who love the Rio Grande,” said Toby Velásquez, director of New Mexico State Parks. “These improvements honor that connection. They make the park more accessible and safer for everyone.”
Contractors rebuilt and repaved Leasburg Park Road and improved its intersection with Tres Amigos Road to meet current New Mexico Department of Transportation safety standards.
Organ Mountain News
Along Leasburg Dam Road, crews completed milling and repaving, doubled parking capacity from 10 spaces to 20 and expanded the turnaround for visitor use and Elephant Butte Irrigation District access. New signage, striping and fencing were also installed.
The project also includes a new septic tank and evapotranspiration bed that will replace aging leach fields. State parks officials said the wastewater improvements are designed to prevent wastewater from entering soil and groundwater near the Rio Grande.
That work is expected to be completed by June 30, followed by plumbing upgrades inside the park’s main comfort station.
“These upgrades support the way Radium Springs residents use the park every day — from trail walks to river recreation — and strengthen our ability to protect the landscape and the water that define this area,” Leasburg Dam State Park Manager Austin Wilson said.
The project also restored the park’s Dam Tender’s House, a poured-concrete cottage-style home built in 1908 for the dam tender who once manually regulated water into the Leasburg Canal.
The house had fallen into disrepair after decades without a resident, according to New Mexico State Parks. The restoration stabilized the structure, preserved its historic character and updated it to provide housing for the park manager.
The project is funded by State of New Mexico capital improvement dollars, along with $260,000 from a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation grant.
Smith Engineering Company of Albuquerque and Las Cruces designed the road and wastewater improvements. Las Cruces-based FAMCo Inc. performed construction.
Leasburg Dam State Park offers year-round fishing, boating, wildlife viewing and camping. Campsites are open and available to reserve.
To book a campsite or learn more about the park, visit www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/leasburg-dam-state-park/. Visitors should check the park page for current alerts before traveling.
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