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Elephant Butte Reservoir

New Mexico · Reservoir impounded 1916 · near Truth or Consequences

36,000 acres 175 ft deep 8 ft clarity Water D
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5.7SCORE
Survey summary · New Mexico
36,000
Surface acres
175 ft
Max depth
200 mi
Shoreline
8 ft
Typical clarity
4,407 ft
Elevation

Elephant Butte Reservoir covers 36,000 acres in New Mexico and drops to 175 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1916 and managed by Bureau of Reclamation. Water level is the thing to understand here: the pool can move roughly 60 feet, typically drawn down in multi-year. That changes dock function, boat access, and what the shoreline looks like in listing photos versus in person. Short-term rental posture: Sierra County. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Boating
  • Fishing

Watch outs

  • Seasonal drawdown near 60 ft — verify dock reach at low pool
  • Multi-year level volatility; review historical pool elevation before buying

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 4.3
Recreation 7.2
Value 5.0
Access 7.3
Investment 5.2

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

White bassLargemouth bassWalleyeCatfish

On the water

BoatingFishingBeachesCamping
No USGS gauge on this lake. We only publish a station when its own name matches this water body. Nearby gauges on other lakes would look like data and mislead you, so we show nothing instead. Why we do that.
0.59 ft
Gage height
2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs multi-year low · Elephant Butte Reservoir
60 ft FULL POOL MULTI-YEAR LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 60 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 44 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 515 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

SURFACE 175 ft max avg 56 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 175 ft, average 56 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityVolatile Typical drawdown60 ft Drawdown seasonMulti-year Trophic stateMesotrophic Typical clarity8 ft Water quality gradeD Elevation4,407 ft Managing authorityBureau of Reclamation
This lake moves. A drawdown near 60 feet changes dock reach, boat access, and the look of the shoreline. Tour in the low season, or at minimum look at the gauge history above before you offer.

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityNM State Parks Wake / speed rulesOpen water
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with NM State Parks that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Sierra County

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$380,000
Median waterfront
$3,573
Per shoreline foot
+3.1%
Year over year
241
Est. inventory
94
Avg days on market
$807
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy70% Booked nights / yr184 Gross revenue$159,091 Net operating income$81,960 Yield on median price21.57%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Elephant Butte Reservoir actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$3,523
All-in per month
$88,370
Cash to close + setup
$12,670
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$42,282 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $24,026 (59%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $4,180 (10%) Property taxes $3,990 (10%) Utilities $2,700 (7%) Flood insurance $2,400 (6%) Hazard insurance $1,596 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$24,026
Property taxes$3,990
Hazard insurance$1,596
Flood insurance$2,400
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$4,180
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$42,282
Model your own numbers →

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