Temporary Dam at Rotary Park to be temporarily removed
Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir. Reclamation photo by Jenny Erickson
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. – The Bureau of Reclamation will resume releases from Elephant Butte Dam beginning Sept. 3, at a rate of up to 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). The releases will last for five to six days and recreationists and visitors to the area between Elephant Butte Dam and Caballo Reservoir are asked to use extreme caution when approaching the river as flows may change quickly and can be swift, with the potential to overcome even the strongest swimmers.
“Because we haven’t released water from Elephant Butte since late-July, it is important that members of the public accessing these areas are aware that water will be flowing again next week,” said Elephant Butte Field Division Manager Benjamin Kalminson. “Once releases begin, the rate of water flow can change rapidly. Please remain cautious and safe when in the area and do not attempt to cross the channel, even if it looks dry, during this time.”
The elevation of Caballo Reservoir was reduced this summer as Reclamation removed excessive debris which began to impact the dam’s intake structure. Reclamation began to proactively address the issue in July before additional storms occurred by using boats and personnel to skim the floating debris from the reservoir surface, successfully removing more than 17 tons of debris. In August, an additional 14,000 cubic feet of debris was removed using heavy machinery.
These releases from Elephant Butte will bring the volume of Caballo Reservoir back to normal levels now that debris removal work is complete.
To facilitate this release, the temporary dam at Rotary Park will be removed Tuesday, Sept. 2, and will be rebuilt within three business days following the conclusion of releases from Elephant Butte. No further substantial releases are expected to occur until the beginning of the 2026 irrigation season.
