Apache Lake Dam

Was there ever a dam that caused as much commotion as Apache Lake Dam? Here we stand before Apache Lake Dam, a seemingly tranquil structure that holds a surprisingly dramatic past. Built in the late 1960s as part of the Apache Shores development, Apache Lake Dam wasn’t initially designed for the deluge it would eventually face. The original dam was meant to create a placid fishing spot, Lake Apache. However, the heavy rains of May 1981 changed everything. The water level in Lake Apache rose alarmingly, coming within a mere two feet of the dam’s top. Cracks, ominous signs of potential failure, began to spiderweb across the structure. The United States Corps of Engineers stepped in. After legal wrangling, the Corps mandated a significant reconstruction. The dam had to be doubled in both length and width, a dramatic expansion to ensure its stability. A spillway was also added, designed to safely channel away excess water and prevent a future crisis. One resident, Rene Byars, a former president of the Apache Shores Property Owners’ Association, vividly recalled the tension of that time. A week after Memorial Day in 1981, she received an evacuation order for her home on Geronimo Trail due to the imminent threat of the dam failing. “The water never did come down,” she recounted, “but the danger was there.” Apache Lake Dam today stands as a testament to the power of nature and the human ingenuity required to tame it.