Nature
Leasburg Dam State Park in New Mexico lies on the Rio Grande about 15 miles north of Las Cruces. Built around Leasburg Dam and its river landscape, it serves as a recreation area for camping, hiking, picnicking, swimming, and wildlife viewing. The dam was completed in 1908 to divert water into canals for farms in the Mesilla Valley, connecting the site to the region’s long history of irrigation and agriculture. Before that, early settlers used the area as a passage along El Camino Real and the Jornada del Muerto. The park also relates to nearby Fort Selden and the broader history of movement, settlement, and water in the Mesilla Valley.
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New Mexico · United States