Agricultural Valley of Sierra County

HISTORY

Caballo Lake, New Mexico's second largest was built in 1938, 22 miles downstream on the Rio Grande from Elephant Butte Lake, for irrigation and to serve as a storage reservoir. The lake has 11,500 surface acres and can hold 345,000 acre-feet of water at capacity. The dam is 4500 feet long and 97 feet high and is at an elevation of 4100 feet.

The lake and state park are named for the nearby Sierra de los Caballos (Mountains of the Horse) range.

Las Palomas     Caballo     Arrey     Derry     Animas Creek

These small rural areas of the county are part of the Agricultural Valley of Sierra County and offer a glimpse into how settlements began along the Rio Grande Valley. The valley produces a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, pecans as well as the famous New Mexico Chili both Red and Green.

Las Palomas, named for the doves once the larges settlement on the Rio Grande was settled in the 1850s by the Garcia and Tafoya Families. The town site was moved a mile west of the original location when Caballo Lake was built.

Caballo was named for the nearby Sierra de los Caballos mountain range and was founded in 1908 when John N. Gordon and his family homesteaded in the area. The town site was moved west of the original location when Caballo Lake was built.

Arrey was named El Bonito by the first homesteaders in the 1880s, the town’s name was changed to Arrey(a-Ray) to honor Urbano Arrey, who became the first postmaster in 1901. Chile processing plants and small dairies are part of the area’s economy.

Derry was settled as in 1869 by Hispanic farmers and ranchers. Today Derry like the rest of the valley is a major producer of agricultural products. It is believed that the name was suggested by one of the many Irishmen stationed at a nearby frontier fort.