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Elephant Butte Lake Water Level Today

New Mexico · Official data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Water level today · September 27, 2026 (daily reading)

26.8 ft below normal

for the date, below the range seen in 8 of 10 years

4,280.27 ft above sea level

4,3404,271ftNormal range4,290–4,336Today4,280.3 ft
Past 7 days
+3.9 ft
vs 1 year ago
−9.0 ft
View of Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico
Photo: onbekend (NARA), Public domain
What do these numbers mean?
Water level
The height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, as measured by the official gauge.
Normal for the date
The typical (median) level on this calendar date across 2006-2025. The normal range is where the lake stood in 8 of 10 years.

Elephant Butte Lake water level chart (last 2 years)

4,2694,2914,3124,3344,356ftOct 2024Jan 2025Apr 2025Jul 2025Oct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 20264,280.34,2694,2914,3124,3344,356ftOct 24Apr 25Oct 25Apr 264,280.3
Daily water levelNormal range for the date (8 of 10 years)Typical (median) level for the date

How is Elephant Butte Lake changing?

Over the past 7 days the level rose 3.90 ft; over 30 days it rose 4.8 ft.

One year ago the lake stood at 4,289.2 ft, so it is −9.0 ft compared with the same day last year.

Is Elephant Butte Lake above or below normal?

For September 27, the normal level is about 4,307.1 ft (the normal range is 4,290.5 ft to 4,336.5 ft). Today's level is −26.8 ft compared with normal, below normal.

“Normal” here means the median level recorded on this calendar date across 2006-2025. Many reservoirs are drawn down on purpose in fall and winter, so a level below full pool can still be completely normal for the season.

Recent history

Highest daily level (last 2 years)4,322.63 ftApril 28, 2025
Lowest daily level (last 2 years)4,275.13 ftJuly 29, 2026
Same day last year4,289.23 ft−9.0 ft vs today

Frequently asked questions

What is the water level of Elephant Butte Lake today?
The latest reading is 4,280.27 ft above sea level, reported by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on September 27, 2026.
What is a normal water level for Elephant Butte Lake at this time of year?
Based on daily readings from 2006-2025, the typical (median) level for this date is 4,307.1 ft, and 8 out of 10 years fall between 4,290.5 ft and 4,336.5 ft.
What were the highest and lowest levels in the last two years?
The highest daily level in the last two years was 4,322.6 ft on April 28, 2025; the lowest was 4,275.1 ft on July 29, 2026.

Where this data comes from

The water level is published by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (station 332) and refreshed on this page every day. Full pool comes from the operator; the normal range is calculated from official daily readings for 2006-2025. Recent readings are provisional and may be revised. See data sources & methodology.

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