The 1,624 foot Elephant Butte
Dam was built between 1911
& 1916....
... to dam the Rio Grande
Canyon & create
We park on the overlook
above the dam that
created New Mexico's
largest body of water.
Power Plant was completed in
1940 & went online that year.
It now holds just 3% of the water the reservoir held in the 1980s & 1990s.
The dangerously low level forced water restrictions in the cities that rely on the Elephant Butte Reservoir as its water source. Regional agriculture has been affected by the shortened the irrigation season. The fish and mollusks are stressed by the very low water.
The Marina is a currently
in a shallow basin.
The area is beautiful, and sad. I'm hoping this year's El Nino, along with perfect weather conditions for the next decade can restore the reservoir, its wildlife and the area's recreational activities.
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