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. The historic administration building utilized during the construction of elephant butte dam has been converted into lodging with modern hotellike rooms. 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. The city of elephant butte provides portions of the city with water and sewer. We are the premier destination for recreational boating in the beautiful state of new mexico. When lake level is at capacity the lake is up to 40 miles long with an average width of about 1. Butte lake elephant butte real estate 34 homes for. 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. History and culture elephant butte lake nm oh, ranger.
Elephant butte lake located in new mexico is governed by the rio grande compact. Even at its lowest levels, elephant butte lake is large enough to enjoy an. 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. 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. The front porch is a relaxing spot to sit with views of elephant butte lake and surrounding scenery.
Elephant butte lake state park my true new mexico park duration. Not much to report on the park except the water was cold in january. 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. 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.
A southwest water dispute reaches the supreme court. Elephant butte lake water level history new mexico lakes elephant butte lake login home. It retains its historic character of the early elephant butte community. A peter hurd watercolor, elephant butte lake, captures the beauty of the reservoir bureau of reclamation. Portions of town are now served by the city sewer system. The fishing maps app include hd lake depth contours. Elephant butte lake, new mexico sierra county new mexico. Activities at elephant butte discover elephant butte lake. Elephant butte lake water level history new mexico lakes elephant butte lake login. The bureau ofreclainaiion reclamation surveyed elephant butte reservoir in the spring of 1999 to develop a topographic. Elephant butte dam can now store 2,065,010 acrefeet of water an.
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. Congress, to equitably apportion the waters of the rio grande basin. Although the dam was constructed to regulate water flows in new mexico, texas and mexico, the lake became a recreational attraction from its inception. Currently elephant butte reservoir is less than 7 percent full. The name elephant butte refers to a volcanic core similar to devils tower in wyoming.
Elephant butte lake, new mexico, usa vacation info lakelubbers. 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. Elephant butte dam or elephant butte dike is a concrete gravity dam on the rio grande river near truth or consequences, new mexico. We also provide water services to the residents in the hot springs landing area. Elephant butte lake state park is located approximately 5 miles north of the town of truth or consequences. Elephant butte lake water level including historical chart. The problem is there is very little water in the lake and all the water craft are on dry land. Elephant butte lake state park click here for park page description. It is also the biggest lake in new mexico so it gets it share of visitors.
Upon completion, elephant butte dam was reported to be the largest irrigation enterprise in the united states. 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. The dam impounds elephant butte reservoir, which is used mainly for agriculture, and also provides for recreation, hydroelectricity and flood control. Nov 26, 2012 las cruces the bathtublike rings around elephant butte lakes water level state the obvious. Timeline world history documentaries recommended for you 48. Elephant butte lake can accommodate watercraft of many styles and sizes. There is plenty of water and plenty of beach room and this is new mexicos largest state park. During times of high water, forecast crest information can be found in the text. The construction of the dam has reduced the flow of the rio. As of april 1999, at reservoir water surface elevation feet 4,407. 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. 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.
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. If you like wake boarding, camping, fishing, boating, or just being outdoors, elephant butte is for you. Activities enjoyed on the lake and surrounding area include boating, fishing, camping, water. The cabins or casitas in the dam site recreation area were built in the 1940s by ccc workers. The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is that the shape of the earths surface is shown by contour lines. Our hydrologic monitoring stations continue to send data in near realtime to nwisweb, and we are continuing critical water monitoring activities to. Nearly 40miles long, it is a reservoir lake made from the damming of the rio grande river. Elephant butte lake water level history feet above sea level full pool 0. I found staff very friendly and helpful, spot was very clean and easy to back into. Recreation took off significantly after the civilian conservation. Today, elephant butte dam is designated as a national historical engineer.
The city of elephant butte is home to the largest lake in the state and also the sierra del rio golf course. Zillow has 34 homes for sale in elephant butte nm matching butte lake. Elephant butte lake state park encompasses 40,000 acres and has a visitor center and camp sites. Elephant butte reservoir water levels lower than last year. See more of sierra county new mexico tourism on facebook.
This is a concrete gravity dam 301 feet high and 1,674 feet long including the spillway. Elephant butte reservoir is a reservoir on the rio grande in the u. The elephant butte dam overlook is easily accessed and well worth the trip if you are visiting sierra county. 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. Rv owners prepping for the memorial day weekend say unexpected high water levels at a popular lake in southern new mexico have dampened. Each room has been styled in a unique theme thats both comfortable and charming. See long range weather forecasts for the next 60 days for the desert southwest region.
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. Rio grande at elephant butte lake national weather service. 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. Jan 28, 2014 elephant butte lake state park my true new mexico park duration. Elephant butte lake state park 2020 all you need to know. Dam site cabins dam site elephant butte, new mexico. Department of agriculture, and the national drought mitigation center ndmc at the university of nebraskalincoln. May 31, 2016 elephant butte lake water sports duration.
Elephant butte lake state park history and culture. As the graph above shows, its reservoir ended the 2016 water year sept. 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. Bureau of reclamation historic dams and water projects. 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. 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. Elephant butte lake, new mexico, usa vacation info. The reservoirs ups and downs through history show the great. Activities enjoyed on the lake and surrounding area include boating, fishing, camping, water spots, and much more. The fishing maps app include hd lake depth contours, have more questions about the nautical chart app.
Las cruces the bathtublike rings around elephant butte lakes water level state the obvious. Black butte lake water level including historical chart. Enjoy our local restaurants, hotels, motels, fishing guides, watercraft sales and. Elephant butte, nm weather conditions weather underground. Elephant butte lake news elephant butte lake photos elephant butte lake videos.
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. Elephant butte lake is one of new mexicos most popular vacation spots. 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. I spoke with the administrator of the elephant butte st. If you like camping, fishing, boating, or just being outdoors, elephant butte is for you. The elephant butte state park sits on one of the most fascinating lakes in new mexico. Hundreds of miles of shoreline with a depth of 165 feet. In 19711973, the lake had only about 32,000 acreft of water stored in the lake and an elevation below 4,280 ft. Elephant butte reservoir is on the rio grande in southcentral new mexico east of interstate 25 between socorro and las cruces figure 1.
A southwest water dispute reaches the supreme court high. Elephant butte dam images of america and millions of other books are. In general, the city provides water services to the residents in the north east portion of town. Overnight camping is allowed and bonfires too, as the beaches are big and sandy. Water storage began a year before construction ended, in 1915. 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. Therefore the final storage level at elephant butte reservoir. Travel guide new mexico tm, striper fishing, elephant butte lake in elephant butte, new mexico. Our hydrologic monitoring stations continue to send data in near realtime to nwisweb, and we are. 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. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you selected. 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. Paskus sense of alarm with elephant butte capacity falling to 3% implies catastrophe, but historic data show episodes where capacity fell. Elephant butte reservoir and climate change jfleck at inkstain.
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