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24-586: In the 1960s, the McMillan Reservoir was silting up, reducing its storage capacity. A 1964 study of the McMillan and Avalon Dams concluded: "a potential flood would exceed existing spillway capacity at McMillan Dam and cause the dam to be overtopped, which would cause the failure of both dams." In 1967, the Bureau of Reclamation issued a report proposing a new dam between Avalon and McMillan that would completely inundate

48-490: A Southern Pacific Railroad town. The town's importance grew when a second railroad, the Eastern Railway of New Mexico (an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line from Belen to Clovis ), was completed in 1907 with Vaughn as a division point. A large two-story depot , a roundhouse , and a Harvey House hotel were constructed shortly thereafter. Vaughn was incorporated in 1919 and in 1920 had a population of 888, according to

72-597: A capacity of 1,230 cubic feet (35 m) per second. The dam impounds the Brantley Lake in an area that extends about 16.5 miles (26.6 km) above the dam. Benefits include irrigation, flood control, fish and wildlife enhancement, and recreation. A part of the dam and surrounding land form the Brantley Lake State Park . Brantley Lake has 335,054 acre-feet (413,283,000 m) of capacity assigned to flood-control functions. US 285 U.S. Route 285

96-593: A large portion of the route's traffic, but along much of its route the road is also used for local travel from one town to the next. The northern section of US 285, from Santa Fe to Denver, traverses mountainous and rocky terrain; with that in mind, anyone using the road should check weather conditions during the winter months. The southern terminus of US 285 is at U.S. 90 in Sanderson . Proceeding northward, it crosses I-10 at Fort Stockton , then meets I-20 at Pecos on its way to New Mexico . As 285 traverses north on

120-510: A total length of about 4 miles (6.4 km). The central concrete section is about 143.5 feet (43.7 m) high and 760 feet (230 m) long. The earth-fill wings have a maximum height of 118.5 feet (36.1 m) and a crest width of 30 feet (9.1 m) The concrete section has a central overflow spillway controlled by six radial gates that give a maximum discharge capacity of 352,000 cubic feet (10,000 m) per second. The dam's outlet works have two 4 by 4 feet (1.2 by 1.2 m) conduits with

144-452: Is a north–south United States highway , running 846 miles (1,362 km) through the states of Texas , New Mexico and Colorado . The highway's southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 90 . US 285 has always had an endpoint in Denver, Colorado , although the original US 285 went north from Denver (that segment is now a part of U.S. Route 287 ). Today

168-601: Is a town in Guadalupe County , New Mexico , United States. The population was 286 at the 2020 census , down from the figure of 446 recorded in 2010 . It is located at an intersection of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroad lines. Vaughn is named after Major George W. Vaughn, a civil engineer who was employed by the Santa Fe railroad. Vaughn was established in the early 20th century as

192-667: The South Park basin and climbs over Kenosha Pass , elevation 10,001 feet (3,048 m), and skirts the south side of the Mount Evans massif as it descends its way through the foothills range towards Denver. As the highway leaves the Rocky Mountains and reaches Denver's southwest suburbs, it becomes Hampden Avenue , an important artery in the Denver metro area, then reaches its northern terminus at I-25 . On March 14, 2008, both houses of

216-627: The U.S. census . The Guadalupe County Sheriff's Department, New Mexico Rangers, the New Mexico State Police and Motor Transportation Police and the Vaughn Police Department (presently a one-man agency) all patrol the town, which, according to the United States Homeland Security, is a known drug-smuggling route. Vaughn is located in southwestern Guadalupe County. U.S. Routes 54 , 60 , and 285 pass through

240-470: The United States Census Bureau , the town has an area of 5.6 square miles (14.5 km ), all land. As of the census of 2000, there were 539 people, 232 households, and 154 families residing in the town. The population density was 96.3 inhabitants per square mile (37.2/km ). There were 338 housing units at an average density of 60.4 per square mile (23.3/km ). The racial makeup of the town

264-645: The Colorado border, US 285 passes through the main part of the San Luis Valley , eventually reaching Alamosa . As the highway heads north, it begins to ascend to the northern end of the valley and eventually climbs over Poncha Pass , elevation 9,012 feet (2,747 m), and drops sharply down the other side into the Arkansas River Valley. The highway brushes Salida and follows the Arkansas River north up

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288-620: The Colorado legislature, in a unanimous vote, named the section between Kenosha Pass and C-470 the Ralph Carr Memorial Highway. The short segment between US 50 at Salida and US 24 at Buena Vista closely parallels the original U.S. Route 650 , which was designated in 1926, but eliminated in 1936 when US 285 was commissioned along its present extent from Sanderson to Denver, mostly replacing state-numbered highways. Between Bailey and Nathrop , south of Buena Vista, Colorado, US 285 mostly follows

312-477: The McMillan reservoir. Congressional approval for the project was given in 1972, with about $ 45 million of federal funding authorized. Planning continued throughout the 1970s. By the early 1980s, land had been acquired, the site was cleared, and archaeological mitigation work was underway. Utility lines were moved, highways US 285 and NM 137 were rerouted, and a $ 15,000,000 realignment of the Santa Fe Railway

336-533: The concurrency with US 84 ends. The route then traverses the Carson National Forest where 285 now makes a long climb up to the Colorado Plateau , passing through Ojo Caliente as it ascends to the San Luis Valley . After crossing US 64 , the highway passes through the village of Tres Piedras, New Mexico at the south end of the valley, then proceeds north to the Colorado border. Heading north from

360-478: The eastern plains of New Mexico , it passes through Carlsbad , Artesia and then Roswell . In Artesia the route intersects with U.S. Route 82. In Roswell, the route intersects with U.S. Route 70 and U.S. Route 380 . The route next heads northwest to Vaughn where it has a brief concurrency with U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 60 . The route then continues northwest and has a junction with Interstate 40 at Clines Corners . Heading north out of Clines Corners,

384-655: The famous Alpine Tunnel . At Kenosha Pass in Park County, CO, remains part of a wye used by the railroad to turn around helper locomotives that assisted trains to ascend the steep mountain passes. US-285 appeared in the Season 2 episode of Stargate SG-1 called "1969". When the military convoy that SG-1 was being transported in breaks down, a sign in the background clearly shows they are on US-285. They would travel back east largely following US-66 . [REDACTED] U.S. Roads portal Vaughn, New Mexico Vaughn

408-609: The highway's northern terminus is in Denver, at exit 201 on Interstate 25 . US 285 is a secondary route of US 85 , which it crosses in metro Denver, and technically crosses again in Santa Fe, New Mexico (today its parent route is largely concurrent with Interstate 25 through New Mexico, and as a result US 85 is no longer signed in New Mexico). US 285 also intersects a sibling route, US 385 , in Fort Stockton, Texas . Trucking makes up

432-502: The route continues towards the state capital. At the outskirts of Santa Fe , the route becomes concurrent with I-25 , U.S. Route 84 , and its unsigned parent ( U.S. Route 85 ) for several miles heading west through the foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to Santa Fe . After exiting I-25, US 285 follows Saint Francis Drive through Santa Fe. The route continues north by northwest to Española and Chamita , where

456-496: The route of the Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad . The highway passes by the historic community of Como , which became in its day, the natural central hub for the Denver South Park & Pacific. This town was the junction point of three main lines run by the railroad: from Denver to Como across Kenosha Pass; from Como to Leadville via Boreas and Fremont Passes; and from Como to Gunnison and beyond via Trout Creek Pass and

480-657: The town as 8th Street. US 54 leads northeast 40 miles (64 km) to Santa Rosa , the Guadalupe County seat, and southwest 138 miles (222 km) to Alamogordo . US 60 leads east 118 miles (190 km) to Clovis and west 104 miles (167 km) to Interstate 25 in the Rio Grande valley. US 285 leads southeast 96 miles (154 km) to Roswell ; to the west it follows US 60 16 miles (26 km) to Encino , then turns northwest and leads an additional 27 miles (43 km) to Interstate 40 at Clines Corners . According to

504-434: The valley, then takes a sharp eastward turn just before the small town of Buena Vista . 285 then climbs over Trout Creek Pass , elevation 9,346 feet (2,849 m), and enters the high-altitude South Park basin. A few miles north, the highway passes through Fairplay and the historic South Park City site, then reaches its highest elevation: 10,051 feet (3,064 m), at the summit of Red Hill Pass . US 285 then leaves

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528-493: Was 52.69% White , 0.37% Native American , 43.97% from other races , and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 87.01% of the population. There were 232 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who

552-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males. The median income for

576-476: Was constructed. In 1984, construction on the dam began. Concrete work was completed by autumn 1987, and soon after, the Pecos River was diverted through the new Brantley floodgates for the first time. That winter, another channel was dredged through the McMillan silt to ease the water flow into Brantley. Brantley Dam has a concrete gravity center section flanked by rolled earth-fill wings to the east and west, with

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