Elephant Butte Lake, which receives its water from the Rio Grande, may be located in New Mexico, north of the city of Las Cruces, but for years it has stood as one of the key water sources for Texas farmers around El Paso, as well as residents within the city limits. Those same residents are now facing a limited water supply as Elephant Butte Lake sits at almost empty.
As of Friday, September 18, Elephant Butte Lake sits at 1.5%, one of its lowest water levels ever recorded. Located inside New Mexico’s largest state park, the lake was at one time a popular destination for kayaks, jet skis, pontoons, sailboats, ski boats, cruisers and houseboats, as well as many more lakeside activities. However with the lake recording a mean water level of 4,275.92 feet, all boat ramps are closed for the foreseeable future.
For context, Elephant Butte Lake was sitting at 3.3% full one year ago and 12.5% full six months ago, according to Water Data for Texas. Statistics show the lake has gone up and down in recent years and has not been completely full since the late 90s. Yet the lake also hasn’t dropped as low as 1.5% since sometime in the 1970s.
The low levels come from a combination of years-long drought in New Mexico. As a result, El Paso is looking into ways to diversify its water supplies to ensure residents are able to receive water even in times of extreme drought, as outlined by El Paso Water.