A small dam approximately 30 feet high blocks a portion of the Pecos River creating a slight impoundment behind it. Either side is lined with very dense salt cedar.

A large number of egrets and herons nest here. The area has become more important as other rookeries have become uninhabitable in the area. It hosts very large numbers of cormorants (a maximum of 900) and pelicans during migration.

Six Mile Dam is located southeast of Carlsbad along the Pecos River. Take a spur road off NM-216.