The new deal was a comprehensive series of social and economic programs enacted during the Great Depression. Among the major initiatives enacted by this legislation were the Public Works Administration (PWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and New Mexico State Parks.

To commemorate this anniversary, a 6' bronze statue of a CCC worker was unveiled at the Dam Site Recreation Area on Saturday, October 18, 2008. The Dam Site Recreation Area restaurant, cabins, fish hatchery, roads, boat launch and landscaping were constructed by two CCC camps at Elephant Butte from 1934-1941, making the Dam Site Recreation Area one of the largest CCC projects in the State of New Mexico.

This statue is only one of two that will be located in New Mexico; its companion statue will be located at Hyde Park in Santa Fe. Designed and built in Michigan, these statues have been cast and are being installed around the nation. Receiving a grant from the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), Elephant Butte Lake State Park is purchasing the statue that will make its permanent home at the Dam Site. Mr. Walter Atwood, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CCC Legacy (formerly the National CCC Alumni Organization) will attend the unveiling, traveling here from South Carolina for the dedication.