4,281.2 ft
RisingClear · 0 mph N
Good
Best window: 8:50 AM–10:50 AM
Level just now · Weather 39 minutes ago · Truth Or Consequences, Truth Or Consequences Municipal Airport
Elephant Butte Reservoir is managed by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Insights displays its latest available elevation from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Published reference elevations are listed below.
125.8 feet below full pool
−125.80 ft vs full pool
Elephant Butte Reservoir is currently 125.8 feet below full pool and has been rising over the past week. Recent conditions indicate improving reservoir levels, although the lake remains below its normal operating elevation.
Sierra County, NM · surrounding county from lake location
Moderate Drought
Moderate drought is affecting the watershed.
Severity
Weekly trend
Improving
Compared with last week
Official drought
Yes
99.9% of the watershed is currently classified as official drought (D1+).
Expected impacts
U.S. Drought Monitor · map date Sep 29, 2026. Updated weekly. droughtmonitor.unl.eduView drought map for Sierra County, NM
General factors for reservoirs like this
These are common influences for this type of lake. They do not identify the cause of a specific current change unless an operator update confirms it.
Rainfall & inflows
Rain and upstream river inflows can raise reservoir levels, especially after storms.
Downstream releases
When an operator releases water through a dam, reservoir storage can fall and downstream flows can rise.
Published reference elevation. Not necessarily a fixed year-round target for every project.
Managing authority: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Observation source used by Lake Insights: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Who manages the lake and who publishes the reading Lake Insights displays can differ. Lake Insights does not invent a source label from the managing authority alone.
Shared background — not lake-specific facts
Lake Insights aggregates water level information from authoritative public sources such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, TVA, Bureau of Reclamation, power utilities, and other official lake operators. We preserve historical observations, calculate trends, and present lake conditions in a consistent format. For U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, we link to the official source whenever it is available. Lake Insights does not predict future lake levels unless an official forecast has been published by the managing authority.
Current-level source
Flood-risk operations
Some projects store or release water under flood-risk rules when conditions require it.
Water supply
Some reservoirs support municipal, industrial, irrigation, or regional water-supply needs.
Hydropower
Hydropower projects may pass water through turbines when generating electricity.
Seasonal weather
Dry periods, heat, evaporation, and seasonal rainfall patterns can affect storage over weeks and months.