Satellite imagery shows 15 years of decline at Elephant Butte Reservoir after lowest level since 1971

Prolonged drought has been affecting the Rio Grande basin for several years. A satellite loop released on September 15, 2026, showed the declining water levels in the Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico and the smaller Caballo Reservoir to its south over the last 15 years. NASA had earlier reported that the reservoir stood at 1.4% of capacity on July 27, its lowest level since 1971.

Along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, the water levels of the Elephant Butte Reservoir and the smaller Caballo Reservoir to its south change over the last 15 years. pic.twitter.com/533Y3VsQTt

— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) September 15, 2026

The video was released by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University on September 15. It shows a compilation of images from 2012 to 2026.

The Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico held about 34.4 million m³ (27 873 acre-feet) of water on September 13, according to provisional U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data.

Earlier, NASA reported that the reservoir stood at 1.4% of capacity on July 27, its lowest level since 1971. Landsat imagery below shows Elephant Butte nearly full on June 2, 1994, while another major drought reduced it to 2.9% of capacity on July 8, 2013.

Prolonged drought has affected the Rio Grande basin for years now. Snow at the river’s headwaters in the southern Rocky Mountains melted earlier in 2026 than at any other point in the observational record used for its assessment, with the prolonged drought and early snowmelt contributing to the reservoir’s low level.

New Mexico State Parks lists all boat ramps at Elephant Butte Lake State Park as closed because of low water levels, with reopening dependent on higher water and suitable conditions. The agency has also warned of hazards from exposed and submerged debris under the low-water conditions.

Agricultural releases contributed to the seasonal drawdown. NASA reported that releases stopped after July 28, allowing the reservoir to begin slowly refilling; U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data show storage remained near the late-summer level through the first half of September.

Elephant Butte is New Mexico’s largest reservoir and stores Rio Grande water used for irrigation in the region.

References:

¹ Elephant Butte Reservoir 40-Day Data – U.S. Bureau of Reclamation – Accessed September 16, 2026

² Elephant Butte Reservoir Runs Low – NASA – August 19, 2026

Featured image: Satellite images of Elephant Butte River from 1994 on the left, 2013 in the middle, and 2026 on the right. Credit: NASA