The U2 Census Class Code for Conchas Dam City indicates that it is a Census Designated Place (CDP). It does not have an official federally recognized name and a functional status code of "S." The Census County Division is a system used to track subdivisions of counties in New Mexico. Conchas Dam is part of the Conchas Dam Division of San Miguel County. CDPs are not legal entities, and do not have governmental functions.
During the 1930s, the Conchas Dam Project was a massive water control project in the region. It was a means to economic and social transformation. It took years to build and employed thousands of people and consumed huge amounts of supplies. In the end, the project was successful, turning an impoverished area into a thriving agricultural and commercial center. The dam took 12 million dollars to build and transformed a low-income farming community into a vibrant regional agricultural hub.