Elephant Butte Reservoir
Elephant Butte Reservoir is a reservoir on the southern part of the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Truth or Consequences. The reservoir is the 84th largest man-made lake in the United States and the largest in New Mexico by total surface area and peak volume. It is the only place in New Mexico that one can find pelicans perched on or alongside the lake. There are also temporary US Coast Guard bases stationed at Elephant Butte. It is impounded by Elephant Butte Dam and is part of the largest state park in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
| Elephant Butte Reservoir | |
|---|---|
Elephant Butte Reservoir and Dam | |
Elephant Butte Reservoir Elephant Butte Reservoir | |
| Location | Sierra County, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 33°14′19.43″N 107°10′26.23″W |
| Lake type | Hydroelectric reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Rio Grande |
| Primary outflows | Rio Grande |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 36,500 acres (14,800 ha) |
| Water volume | 2,065,010 acre⋅ft (2.54715 km3) |
| Surface elevation | 4,414 ft (1,345 m) |
The reservoir is part of the Rio Grande Project to provide power and irrigation to south-central New Mexico and western Texas. It began to be filled in 1915 and 1916 and at highstand was the largest man-made lake in the world.
The reservoir can hold 2,065,010 acre-feet (2.54715×109 m3) of water from a drainage of 28,900 square miles (74,850 km2). It provides irrigation to 178,000 acres (720 km2) of land.
Fishing is a popular recreational activity on the reservoir, which contains striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish.