| Elephant Butte Reservoir | |
|---|---|
| Elephant Butte Reservoir and Dam | |
| Location | Sierra County, New Mexico |
| 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) |
Elephant Butte Reservoir is a reservoir on the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of New Mexico, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Truth or Consequences. It is impounded by Elephant Butte Dam and is the largest reservoir in New Mexico. The reservoir is also part of the largest state park in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park.[1]
The reservoir is part of the Rio Grande Project, a project to provide power and irrigation to south-central New Mexico and west Texas. It was filled starting between 1915 and 1916.[2]
The reservoir can hold 2,065,010 acre feet (2.54715×109 m3) of water[2] from a drainage of 28,900 square miles (74,850 km²).[3] It provides irrigation to 178,000 acres (720 km²) of land.[2]
The name "Elephant Butte" refers to a volcanic core similar to Devils Tower in Wyoming. It is now an island in the lake. The butte was said to have the shape of an elephant.
Fishing is a popular recreational activity on the reservoir, which contains striped bass, white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, walleye and catfish.