Every Lake
Heron Reservoir
Finished in 1971 to carry Colorado River water 4,000 feet through the Continental Divide.
- 28 ft · first step
- 56 ft
- 84 ft
- 112 ft
- 140 ft
- 168 ft · bottom
About Heron Reservoir
Heron Dam was completed in 1971 on Willow Creek, near its junction with the Rio Chama, as the terminus of the San Juan-Chama Project. The Bureau of Reclamation built the project to divert water from the San Juan River, a Colorado River tributary, through tunnels bored under the Continental Divide into the Rio Chama watershed. From there the water moves downstream to the Rio Grande, supplying Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and other municipalities. The reservoir sits in Rio Arriba County in northern New Mexico, near the small villages of Los Ojos and Tierra Amarilla.
Heron Lake State Park designated the lake a no-wake zone, prohibiting water skiing and personal watercraft, which sets it apart from El Vado Lake seven miles downstream on the same river, where motorized skiing is allowed. That rule made Heron a destination for sailors, and the park hosts regattas out of its marina. Anglers fish it for kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. The lake is ringed by piñon-juniper mesas rather than town shoreline, with camping and boat-in sites managed through the state park rather than private lake development.
- 92 roads engraved around the shore, 4 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Heron Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Heron Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 28 ft, 56 ft, 84 ft, 112 ft, 140 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 168 ft. The lake covers about 9.2 square miles, and 92 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Heron Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Heron Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Heron Reservoir.
Heron Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Heron Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Heron Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 168 ft
- 9.2 square miles of water
- 92 shore roads engraved, 4 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
