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Caballo Lake

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Lake name:
Caballo Lake
Location:
New Mexico
HydroLAKE ID:
9453
GRanD ID:
664
Latitude:
32.898365
Longitude:
-107.293998
Surface area (km2):
28.3
Basin type:
reservoir
Dam completion date:
1937
Management agency:
New Mexico Energy; Minerals and Natural Resources Department; New Mexico State Parks
Lake use:
irrigation hydroelectricity flood control
Region associations:
Caballo Lake State Park; Caballo Mountains; Rio Grande valley; Chihuahuan desert
Comments:
Part of Caballo Lake State Park, this reservoir was constructed as part of the New Deal Program implemented during the Great Depression. It is downstream from Elephant Butte Reservoir and both reservoirs serve as a steady water source supplying water to south New Mexico, west Texas, and Mexico. The lake's storage capacity has gradually diminished by sedimentation. It is New Mexico's second largest lake and a concentration point for waterfowl and shorebirds.

Summary of Surveys (5)

Survey Citation:
Cavitt, J. F., S. L. Jones, N. M. Wilson, J. S Dieni, T. S. Zimmerman, R. H. Doster, and W. H. Howe. 2014. Atlas of breeding colonial waterbirds in the interior western United States. Research Report, U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado.

  • Time period
    26 June 1977, 13 April 1990
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    Y and N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 26 1977
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 2 1990
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Baltosser was observer in 1977, Zimmer et. al was observer for 1986, and Cleary was observer in 1990. In 1986, Western grebes were present and breeding confirmed but no counts. For 1977, estimated # of breeding adults was 8 but I entered the actual bird count of 26 as maximum, not sure why these are different. These are historical records included in the Atlas.

Survey Citation:
New Mexico Avian Conservation Partners. 2016. New Mexico Bird Conservation Plan Version 2.2. C. Rustay, S. Norris, and M. Darr, compilers. New Mexico Avian Conservation Partners, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

  • Time period
    N/A
  • Source
    Species profile
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 presence ?
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 presence ?
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence ?
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 presence ?
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Species profile in Appendix C states that Clark's grebes breed here occasionally. No other specifics nor data.

Survey Citation:
Hubbard. 1992. Boat-surveys for waterbirds on lakes in New Mexico. Unpublished

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    1986
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 presence 1986
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 presence 1986
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence 1986
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 presence 1986
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

NM Department of Game and Fish conducted boat surveys on this lake and counted grebes in March 1985, 1990, and 1991. Did not include these numbers as it was before breeding season. Clark's grebe was verified breeding here in 1986 (entered here, source is Departmental files). Considered a breeding lake for both species.

Survey Citation:
New Mexico Ornithological Society. 2022. NMOS Field Notes Database 1962 - 2009. Natural Heritage New Mexico (database designer/server), Albuquerque, New Mexico. Online: http://nhnm.unm.edu/partners/NMOS. Accessed on September 29, 2022.

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    8 August 2016
  • Source
    Database
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 1 2016
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 1 2016
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks 1 to 100 1 2016
Most Recent Chicks 1 to 100 1 2016

Comments:

From the field notes database of the New Mexico Ornithological Society, only records with evidence of breeding (nests and/or eggs) included here.

Survey Citation:
New Mexico Ornithological Society. 2022. NMOS Field Notes Database 1962 - 2009. Natural Heritage New Mexico (database designer/server), Albuquerque, New Mexico. Online: http://nhnm.unm.edu/partners/NMOS. Accessed on September 29, 2022.

  • Type
    shore
  • Time period
    12 June 2015, 1 August 2016
  • Source
    Database
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 12 2016
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 12 2016
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks 1 to 100 6-18 2016
Most Recent Chicks 1 to 100 6-18 2016

Comments:

From the field notes database of the New Mexico Ornithological Society, only records with evidence of breeding (nests and/or eggs) included here. Intermittent observations are descriptive and sometimes adults, nests, and/or chicks but numbers not always included. This entry includes numbers, if provided. Numbers column does not always match the comments so I went by comments for information. Range of chicks entered as 1 to 3 chicks per brood if number chicks not given.

Sources of Information

  • Messager, M. L., B. Lehner, G. Grill, I. Nedeva, and O. Schmitt. 2016. Estimating the volume and age of water stored in global lakes using a geo-statistical approach. Nature Communications 7:13603. Data is available at www.hydrosheds.org.; Lehner, B., C. Reidy Liermann, C. Revenga, C. Vorosmarty, B. Fekete, P. Crouzet, P. Doll, M. Endejan, K. Frenken, J. Magome, C. Nilsson, J.C. Robertson, R. Rodel, N. Sindorf, and D. Wisser. 2011. Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Dams, Revision 01. Palisades, New York: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).
  • Lehner, B., C. Reidy Liermann, C. Revenga, C. Vorosmarty, B. Fekete, P. Crouzet, P. Doll, M. Endejan, K. Frenken, J. Magome, C. Nilsson, J.C. Robertson, R. Rodel, N. Sindorf, and D. Wisser. 2011. Global Reservoir and Dam Database, Version 1 (GRanDv1): Dams, Revision 01. Palisades, New York: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC).
  • Caballo Lake State Park
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  • Explore Important Bird Areas (IBA) Interactive Map
  • Caballo Lake Recreation
  • Caballo Lake State Park Information
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