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Elephant Butte Reservoir, Elephant Butte Lake State Park

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Lake name:
Elephant Butte Reservoir, Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Location:
New Mexico
HydroLAKE ID:
831
GRanD ID:
657
Latitude:
33.156049
Longitude:
-107.189253
Surface area (km2):
110.4
Basin type:
reservoir
Dam completion date:
1921
Management agency:
New Mexico Energy; Minerals and Natural Resources Department; New Mexico State Parks; U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Rio Grande Compact
Lake use:
flood control irrigation hydroelectricity recreation
Region associations:
Rio Grande; Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Comments:
This reservoir is governed by the Rio Grande Compact, an agreement between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas to distribute water equitably from the Rio Grande Basin. The reservoir was nearly dry in 2013 due to drought. It is the largest reservoir in New Mexico. The largest concentration of wintering Western and Clark's grebes in New Mexico is at this reservoir.

Summary of Surveys (3)

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 Unpublished

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    1977, August 1985
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    Y and N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Adults N/A N/A N/A
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence 1977, 1985
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 presence 1985
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. Did not include these numbers as it was before breeding season but author notes there was more Clark's grebe than Western grebe at that time. Historical account of Aechmophorus first breeding at Elephant Butte in 1975 though in original paper, he says 1977 in original paper (Hubbard 1978). Clark's grebe was verified breeding here in August 1985 (entered here, source is Departmental files). Considered a breeding lake for both species.

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?
    Y
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Adults N/A N/A N/A
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 profiles in Appendix C states that Western and Clark's breed here. For Clark's, only occasionally at this site. No other specifics nor data. Western grebes have have a more northern range in NM than Clark's.

Survey Citation:
Duvuvuei E., 2022, NM colonial waterbird survey database, pers. comm. (email)

  • Type
    air
  • Time period
    2010
  • Source
    Database
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 presence 2010
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 presence 2010
Max Nests 0 0 2010
Most Recent Nests 0 0 2010
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Erin Duvuvuei email to be paraphrased: "I was hoping to find additional data associated with colonial waterbird surveys that were conducted in 2010, but although Aechmophorus grebes were noted at Cherry Lake, Heron Reservoir, Navajo Reservoir, Elephant Butter Reservoir, & Elephant Butte Marsh during aerial surveys in May 2010, no nests were documented."

Sources of Information

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