Farmers in San Pedro, just south of the city of Espanola, have used a system of acequias to irrigate their crops for generations. The presa is on the Santa Cruz River near the intersection of the Sombrillo Road and Highway 76, the road to Chimayo. Five acequias (the Five Sisters) take their water at that point. The main south ditch carries water for the Ortega, the La Mesilla, and the Garcia.
In 1929, the Santa Cruz Dam was built by the Santa Cruz Irrigation District, holding water back and extending the watering season. The dam is 535 feet across and 90 feet deep at the overflowing spillway. The lake covers 121 surface acres with water in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
