The Amistad Dam is an international dam on the Rio Grande built in 1969 to create a reservoir of 5,250,000 acre-feet for flood control, conservation, hydroelectric generation, and recreational uses. The Amistad is the largest of the U.S.-Mexico operated storage dams and reservoirs on the Rio Grande at 6.1 miles long and 254 feet above the riverbed. The dam has 16 spillway gates that can release up to 1,500,000 cubic feet of water per second. The reservoir runs about 75 miles up the Rio Grande, has a surface area of 65,000 acres, and a volume of 3,124,260 acre feet. The dam was constructed by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) as a joint investment of the United States and Mexico. Both companies are responsible for the operation and maintenance of Amistad, as it benefits and protects regions on both sides of the border. President Richard M. Nixon and Mexican President Diaz Ordaz jointly dedicated the dam in 1969.