International Boundary and Water Commission

Discusses the need for the Falcon Dam to aid in drought, flood control, and irrigation, then describes a severe flood that occurred within a year of the dam's construction, in which the Falcon Dam proved to be invaluable. With no major dams yet constructed on the Upper Rio Grande, cities in Val Verde, Webb, and Maverick Counties, as well as northern regions of the Mexican state of Coahuila, were devastated. When the flood waters rushed into the Lower Rio Grande region, the area that is controlled by the Falcon Dam, the dam was tested. It prevailed, saving the entire area from destruction.