Elephant Butte Lake has fallen to 1.7 percent of its normal capacity, marking its lowest level since 1971 due to a combination of dam releases for irrigation, meager winter snowfall, and rising temperatures.
Park officials are using the exposure of the lakebed as an opportunity to perform maintenance work before the irrigation season concludes. “The biggest thing here is the sediment,” said Johnathin Horsley, superintendent of Elephant Butte Lake State Park. “We’ve been pulling out sediment for about two weeks now. We’re trying to move the best we can, so the big goal right now has been to keep the loading ramp clean … so folks can launch vessels and enjoy the water.”
The drop in water levels has created operational challenges for area businesses. Josh Koch, manager at Marina Del Sur, said the receding shoreline complicates routine fueling operations.
“We have movable fuel barges. So when they empty, we have to bring them over to the courtesy docks by the boat ramp and then fill them up,” Koch said. “Because the sand is really soft, the gas tanker will get stuck. So we have to haul our barges over to the dam site and fill it up.”
Despite the hurdles, local businesses are pushing forward with late-summer promotions to attract tourists. “We just pushed out a promotional code — a back-to-school coupon,” Koch said. “So if you rent a boat from us, it gives you a one-fourth or one-fifth off your boat rental. We’re just trying to get people out here.”
Water releases at Elephant Butte Dam will cease on July 28 at the end of the irrigation season, which local officials hope will allow the reservoir to begin refilling.
While the current conditions are severe, the lake remains above its record low of 0.01 percent capacity, set in June 1954.
