There have been some negative environmental impacts due to changes in the river flow that affect the native fish and drying of the riverside land.

[2] It has a total diversion capacity of 1,070 cubic feet (30 m3) per second, feeding the Peralta Main and Belen Highline Canals.

[3] In 1955 the dam was rehabilitated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Middle Rio Grande Project.

[6] The dam has helped to reduce flooding and to provide irrigation water, but has had some negative environmental impact.

In response, the Isleta Pueblo and consultants have been developing a plan to reduce the risk of fire, prioritize fire fighting to focus on areas dominated by native vegetation, replant cottonwood and willows along the banks, restore riparian grasslands and search for ways to better manage the dam.