Elephant butte lake is one of new mexicos most popular vacation spots. This reservoir is the 84th largest manmade lake in the united states, and the largest in new mexico by total surface area and peak volume. Rv owners prepping for the memorial day weekend say unexpected high water levels at a popular lake in southern new mexico have dampened. Not much to report on the park except the water was cold in january. Activities enjoyed on the lake and surrounding area include boating, fishing, camping, water. Elephant butte reservoir and climate change jfleck at inkstain. Las cruces the bathtublike rings around elephant butte lakes water level state the obvious.
As the graph above shows, its reservoir ended the 2016 water year sept. Hundreds of miles of shoreline with a depth of 165 feet. It is also the biggest lake in new mexico so it gets it share of visitors. Even at its lowest levels, elephant butte lake is large enough to enjoy an. Butte lake elephant butte real estate 34 homes for. Drop in elephant butte water level no reason for alarm. In general, the city provides water services to the residents in the north east portion of town. Elephant butte lake water level including historical chart. The largest body of water in new mexico was created by the construction of this dam. Elephant butte dam images of america and millions of other books are.
If you like wake boarding, camping, fishing, boating, or just being outdoors, elephant butte is for you. The old farmers almanacs scientificallybased, long range forecasts can be used to make more informed decisions about future plans that depend on the weather, from vacations. The construction of the dam has reduced the flow of the rio. Travel guide new mexico tm, striper fishing, elephant butte lake in elephant butte, new mexico. Elephant butte lake state park my true new mexico park duration. The civilian conservation corps at elephant butte although the dam was constructed to regulate water flows in new mexico, texas and mexico, the lake became a recreational attraction from its inception. The next regular board meeting is on april 15th, read more ebid sets initial water allotment and announces temporary office closure read more the dona ana county fc and oem are inviting input for the all hazards mitigation plan read more welcome to farmer services. Apr 05, 2007 and john morlock, a semiretired elephant butte fishing guide, once knew a woman who swore to him that she had known divers who had been in the water and seen enormous whiskered catfish the size of school busescatfish so huge and so frightening that one of the divers never again reentered the water. Black butte lake water level including historical chart. Elephant butte reservoir is a reservoir on the rio grande in the u. Nearly 40miles long, it is a reservoir lake made from the damming of the rio grande river. Elephant butte reservoir water levels lower than last year.
Though no bodies were found, he was accused by his accomplices of killing several people and suspected by the police to have murdered as many as 60 women from arizona and new mexico, while living in elephant butte, new mexico. With limited lake options in new mexico, elephant butte lake is a popular destination for water enthusiasts and nature lovers alike in the land of enchantment. The rio grande compact is an interstate compact signed in 1938 between the states of colorado, new mexico and texas and approved by the u. May 31, 2016 elephant butte lake water sports duration. As of april 1999, at reservoir water surface elevation feet 4,407. Overnight camping is allowed and bonfires too, as the beaches are big and sandy.
Congress, to equitably apportion the waters of the rio grande basin. Therefore the final storage level at elephant butte reservoir. I found staff very friendly and helpful, spot was very clean and easy to back into. Notice the usgs water resources mission areas priority is to maintain the safety and wellbeing of our communities, including providing critical situational awareness in times of flooding in all 50 u. The elephant butte dam overlook is easily accessed and well worth the trip if you are visiting sierra county. I spoke with the administrator of the elephant butte st.
Contours are imaginary lines that join points of equal elevation on the surface of the land above or below a reference surface, such as mean sea level. Publications and information for accounting unit 202 rio grandeelephant butte surface water stations in new mexico ground water stations in new mexico. Marina operators at elephant butte lake are scrambling to keep up with the lakes declining water levels, as the regions two irrigation districts take larger allotments for farmers than they. During times of high water, forecast crest information can be found in the text. Elephant butte lake, new mexico sierra county new mexico. The colored dots on this map depict streamflow conditions as a percentile, which is computed from the period of record for the current day of the year. A southwest water dispute reaches the supreme court high. See long range weather forecasts for the next 60 days for the desert southwest region. Zillow has 34 homes for sale in elephant butte nm matching butte lake. Rio grande at elephant butte lake national weather service. The city of elephant butte is home to the largest lake in the state and also the sierra del rio golf course. We also provide water services to the residents in the hot springs landing area. Elephant butte lake water level history feet above sea level full pool 0.
Elephant butte lake water level history new mexico lakes elephant butte lake login home. In july 1998, the city of elephant butte became new mexicos 101st incorporated community. Apr 16, 2020 the colored dots on this map depict streamflow conditions as a percentile, which is computed from the period of record for the current day of the year. Elephant butte lake state park encompasses 40,000 acres and has a visitor center and camp sites. Elephant butte lake, new mexico, usa vacation info lakelubbers. Elephant butte, nm weather conditions weather underground. The elephant butte state park sits on one of the most fascinating lakes in new mexico.
In 19711973, the lake had only about 32,000 acreft of water stored in the lake and an elevation below 4,280 ft. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you selected. Elephant butte lake state park 2020 all you need to know. Although the dam was constructed to regulate water flows in new mexico, texas and mexico, the lake became a recreational attraction from its inception. The problem is there is very little water in the lake and all the water craft are on dry land. Nov 26, 2012 las cruces the bathtublike rings around elephant butte lakes water level state the obvious. Elephant butte lake historical elevation data by decade. Our hydrologic monitoring stations continue to send data in near realtime to nwisweb, and we are continuing critical water monitoring activities to. Paskus sense of alarm with elephant butte capacity falling to 3% implies catastrophe, but historic data show episodes where capacity fell. The historic administration building utilized during the construction of elephant butte dam has been converted into lodging with modern hotellike rooms. Elephant butte lake can accommodate watercraft of many styles and sizes. A peter hurd watercolor, elephant butte lake, captures the beauty of the reservoir bureau of reclamation.
Activities at elephant butte discover elephant butte lake. Jan 28, 2014 elephant butte lake state park my true new mexico park duration. Activities enjoyed on the lake and surrounding area include boating, fishing, camping, water spots, and much more. And john morlock, a semiretired elephant butte fishing guide, once knew a woman who swore to him that she had known divers who had been in the water and seen enormous whiskered catfish the size of school busescatfish so huge and so frightening that one of the divers never again re. When lake level is at capacity the lake is up to 40 miles long with an average width of about 1.
Elephant butte lake state park click here for park page description. Currently elephant butte reservoir is less than 7 percent full. Elephant butte lake news elephant butte lake photos elephant butte lake videos. It retains its historic character of the early elephant butte community.
Water levels at elephant butte reservoir are 10 feet lower than they were at this time last year, and they may drop another 10 feet by the middle of august. The cabins or casitas in the dam site recreation area were built in the 1940s by ccc workers. If you like camping, fishing, boating, or just being outdoors, elephant butte is for you. The dam impounds elephant butte reservoir, which is used mainly for agriculture, and also provides for recreation, hydroelectricity and flood control. There is plenty of water and plenty of beach room and this is new mexicos largest state park. The city of elephant butte provides portions of the city with water and sewer. Bureau of reclamation historic dams and water projects. Elephant butte lake state park history and culture. The reservoirs ups and downs through history show the great. Drought monitor, established in 1999, is a weekly map of drought conditions that is produced jointly by the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, the u. Department of agriculture, and the national drought mitigation center ndmc at the university of nebraskalincoln. The name elephant butte refers to a volcanic core similar to devils tower in wyoming.
Elephant butte dam or elephant butte dike is a concrete gravity dam on the rio grande river near truth or consequences, new mexico. See more of sierra county new mexico tourism on facebook. Elephant butte reservoir is on the rio grande in southcentral new mexico east of interstate 25 between socorro and las cruces figure 1. Elephant butte lake located in new mexico is governed by the rio grande compact. New mexicos largest body of water, elephant butte lake, is a fishermans paradise known for recordbreaking black, white, and striped bass, as well as crappie and bluegill. Today, elephant butte dam is designated as a national historical engineer. Even at its lowest levels, elephant butte lake is large enough to enjoy an array of recreational opportunities boating, fishing, paragliding, and exploring its miles of shoreline. Each room has been styled in a unique theme thats both comfortable and charming. For over a year preceding the incorporation, a group of enthusiastic, communityminded citizens completed population census and financial analysis, as well as a surveyed citizen attitudes toward incorporation before the actual vote was held. The bureau ofreclainaiion reclamation surveyed elephant butte reservoir in the spring of 1999 to develop a topographic. Elephant butte lake, new mexico, usa vacation info. Portions of town are now served by the city sewer system. A southwest water dispute reaches the supreme court.
The next regular board meeting is on april 15th, read more ebid sets initial water allotment and announces temporary office closure read more the dona ana county fc and oem are inviting input for the all hazards mitigation plan read more. We are the premier destination for recreational boating in the beautiful state of new mexico. Water storage began a year before construction ended, in 1915. Recreation took off significantly after the civilian conservation. This is a concrete gravity dam 301 feet high and 1,674 feet long including the spillway. Elephant butte lake state park is located approximately 5 miles north of the town of truth or consequences. The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is that the shape of the earths surface is shown by contour lines. Dam site cabins dam site elephant butte, new mexico. Urban has no choice but to close the park and lake as it is a directive from the governor of nm so dont take it out on the state park staff they would be open if it were their choice currently the directive is to be closed till april 9th. Upon completion, elephant butte dam was reported to be the largest irrigation enterprise in the united states. When you purchase our lake maps app, you get all the great marine chart app features like fishing spots, along with elephant butte reservoir lake depth map. History and culture elephant butte lake nm oh, ranger. Elephant butte dam, named for a distinctive rock formation that now juts from the reservoir, not only makes a dependable water supply possible, but elephant butte lake has a storage capacity of more than 2.
The fishing maps app include hd lake depth contours. Timeline world history documentaries recommended for you 48. David parker ray november 6, 1939 may 28, 2002, also known as the toybox killer, was an american kidnapper, torturer, rapist and suspected serial killer. Elephant butte lake state park announcements in response to the covid19 public health emergency, governor lujan grisham has directed the closure of all new mexico state parks effective monday, march 16, 2020, the closure will expire on april 9, unless extended. Enjoy our local restaurants, hotels, motels, fishing guides, watercraft sales and. Elephant butte lake water level history new mexico lakes elephant butte lake login. Elephant butte dam can now store 2,065,010 acrefeet of water an.
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