Elephant Butte Reservoir reservoir
Elephant Butte Reservoir
Elephant Butte Reservoir, located in southern New Mexico, was created in 1916 by the damming of the Rio Grande. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 2.2 million acre-feet and is the largest reservoir in the state. The hydrology of the reservoir is primarily fed by snow melt and surface flow from the Rio Grande, as well as irrigation runoff from nearby agricultural fields. The reservoir provides water for agricultural and recreational uses, including boating, fishing, and camping. The snowpack providers for the reservoir include the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountain ranges, while the surface flow is mainly provided by the Rio Grande and its tributaries. The reservoir plays a vital role in supplying water to the surrounding areas, as well as the downstream agricultural lands and cities in Texas and Mexico.
Daily levels at Elephant Butte Reservoir
Storage volume, pool elevation, and total release plotted from the operating agency's daily observations.
Storage
acre-ft · code 17
Inflow
cfs · code 29
Pool Elevation
ft · code 49
Total Release
cfs · code 42
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Elephant Butte Reservoir -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Grande Below Elephant Butte Dam | 533 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande At Narrows In Elephant Butte Res. | 56 cfs | → |
| Rio Grande Floodway At San Marcial | · | → |
| Rio Grande Conveyance Channel At San Marcial | 72 cfs | → |
| Salt Creek Near Tularosa | 0 cfs | → |
| Mimbres River At Mimbres | 3 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Elephant Butte Reservoir.
Boat launches
- Dam Site Marina
- Marina Del Sur
- Rock Canyon Road Sierra County
- Monticello Road Sierra County
- Sierra County
Campgrounds
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park
- Caballo Lake State Park
- Percha Dam State Park
- Luna Park Campground
- Hillsboro City Rv Park
Track Elephant Butte Reservoir in the Snoflo app
Save this reservoir as a favorite and set push alerts when storage crosses a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 80% of normal").
About Elephant Butte Reservoir
Where does the data for Elephant Butte Reservoir come from?
Daily storage, pool elevation, and release rates are sourced from USGS, USBR, and USACE monitoring stations. Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
Storage observations are updated daily by the operating agency. The 15-day weather forecast refreshes throughout the day. Snoflo caches and renders the most recent observation -- check the "as of" timestamp on the storage card.
What does the Hazard hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this reservoir, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Elephant Butte Reservoir.