Heron Lake Marina in the snow, December 18, 2010

View from the marina point into Willow Creek Cove, the Narrows, and Heron Lake, New Mexico.

View of Heron Lake Marina A and B docks, with marina shelter and gangway, from marina point, December 18, 2010.

Gangway, Heron Lake Marina, Willow Creek Cove at Heron Lake, New Mexico, USA.

Reflections

According to ( http://www.fws.gov/southwest/mrgbi/resources/dams/index.html ), Heron Lake has a capacity of 399,980 acre-feet at a crest elevation of 7,192 feet and its dam, completed in 1971, is 276 feet tall and 1221 feet long. The early efforts at crating a marina were simple affairs using 55-gallon drums for floats. As the reservoir filled during the 1970s, the then-young New Mexico Sailing Club moved its activities from Navajo Lake and the Cochiti reservoir to Heron. Around 1989, the club arranged to take over and expand the small state-owned marina in Willow Creek Cove. Since then, the marina has been renovated and improved.

Bottom of gangway.

Heron Lake is a high-altitude lake in northern New Mexico within view of high mountains in New Mexico and Colorado. The marina, which is owned and operated by the New Mexico Sailing Club as a concession of the New Mexico State Parks division, is open for about half the year, from late April until mid- to late October.

Top of gangway for Heron Marina.

View down gangway to Heron Lake Marina.

Top of gangway, view from south side

View from the south of Heron Lake Marina and gangway

Panoramic view of Heron Lake Marina in the snow, December 18, 2010.

South side of Willow Creek Cove. Note the islet in the center; when the lake surface is several feet higher this is a hazard to navigation between the boat ramp and the marina.

Southeast corner of Willow Creek Cove, showing mooring buoys and cable.

View from the south showing the entire gangway system for the Heron Lake Marina.