Revisiting the John B. Robert Dam

(Beate Sass is one of the members of Kinship Photography Collective who participated in this year’s Global Earth Exchange)

I chose to photograph at the John. B. Robert Dam in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2023 Global Earth Exchange. I have been photographing at the Dam for several years during trips to visit my father. This looming concrete structure, a block away from my dad’s residence, gives one pause, as it is situated at the foothills of the beautiful Sandia Mountains. The basin to the east of the Dam includes the Bear Canyon Arroyo and Bear Canyon Open Space. Within, are human-made flood control structures in addition to trails and wildlife habitats. When water accumulates in the Dam, it continues to flow west along manmade channels until it eventually empties into the Rio Grande. This stormwater management system was developed to prevent flooding of neighborhoods in the heights and in the valley during the summer’s monsoon season. Tragically, the last two decades have been the driest period in NM in at last 1,200 years. I’ve never witnessed more than a trickle of water within this open space.

For years, I stayed clear of the Dam, feeling sad that this immense and unattractive structure had scarred the land. Eventually, my curiosity led me to venture to the top and into the open space behind it. What appeared to be a damaged and barren landscape as viewed from afar, was actually teeming with life when viewed up-close. Mother Earth has reclaimed the land.

As I visit throughout the changing seasons, I am grateful to find myself surrounded by nature and beauty and to have a peaceful place to wander. Although the Dam was created for flood control purposes, it has also become a popular destination for many who seek to view the sunsets from atop and to connect to the natural world within.

https://kinship-photo.circle.so/c/global-earth-exchange-speak-grief-speak-beauty/revisiting-the-john-b-robert-dam