Lake Level Look -- Elephant Butte and Heron Lakes

Prospects look good at Heron for the Buccaneer regatta on Labor Day weekend. Heron Lake has reaped the benefits of summer storms, rising two inches in the past 24 hours, putting the marina in close to 29 feet of water.

Elephant Butte is still discharging water for irrigation, but more slowly, and recent revisions to the Operating Plan are more optimistic about water levels for this fall, with the lake expected to keep nearly 300,000 acre feet even at its lowest point.

Heron Lake, NM (Rio Arriba County)
date . . . . level (ft.) . . . storage (acre feet)
12/31 . . . 7,144.85 . . . . 198,729
01/31 . . . 7,137.54 . . . . 171,252
02/28 . . . 7,135.48 . . . . 163,997
03/31 . . . 7,136.80 . . . . 168,721
04/30 . . . 7,140.60 . . . . 182,435
05/31 . . . 7,148.98 . . . . 215,390
06/30 . . . 7,153.96 . . . . 236,551
08/07 . . . 7,154.64 . . . . 239,554

Up 0.17' (2 inches) and 747 a.f. in 24 hours.
Up 0.23 (2 3/4 inches) and 1,012 a.f. in 71 hours.

91,235 a.f. SJ-C water in, January through June, 2007.
-2,091 a.f. SJ-C water loss, April-June
-3,813 a.f. SJ-C water discharged, May-June

Azotea Tunnel, 8/7/2007, 12 noon:
298 cubic feet per second (192-680 cfs in past 71 hours)

Willow Creek, 8/7/2007, 1 pm:
311 c.f.s. (210-711 cfs in pst 71 hours)


Elephant Butte Lake
01/01 . . . 4,340.82 . . . . 515,350
01/31 . . . 4,344.02 . . . . 558,440
02/28 . . . 4,346.88 . . . . 598,460
03/11 . . . 4,347.72 . . . . 610,490 annual high point
03/19 . . . 4,347.48 . . . . 607,040
03/31 . . . 4,347.62 . . . . 609,050
04/30 . . . 4,343.82 . . . . 555,970
05/05 . . . 4,342.26 . . . . 548,050 intermediate low point
05/31 . . . 4,347.08 . . . . 601,320
06/05 . . . 4,347.58 . . . . 608,480 crest of spring runoff
06/30 . . . 4,344.96 . . . . 571,440
07/25 . . . 4,337.90 . . . . 477,610
08/07 . . . 4,335.16 . . . . 443,660 (12.56' loss from maximum)

Operations Plan Predictions
08/07 . . . 4,334.83 . . . . 439,710
08/31 . . . 4,328.76 . . . . 369,750
09/22 . . . 4,324.62 . . . . 325,770
09/30 . . . 4,323.34 . . . . 312,715
10/14 . . . 4,321.20 . . . . 291,424 (proj. max. loss of 13.94' from today)
10/31 . . . 4,322.64 . . . . 305,665
Maximum projected loss is 27' higher than actual for 2005 drought.
Projected outflow is 1,825 c.f.s. per day through August 25, then 1,280 c.f.s. from Aug. 26 to Oct. 13

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Current Elephant Butte Lake Level and Storage

08/07 . . . 4,335.16 . . . . 443,660
down 0.22' (2 5/8 inches) and 2,681 a.f. in 24 hours
down 0.68' (8 inches) and 8,294 a.f. in 71 hours

San Marcial Floodway flow is 95 cubic feet per second
(up to 168 cfs in past 71 hours).
Outflow at dam: 1,830 cubic feet per second.