E Butte Lake
Sierra County, New Mexico42,750 acresView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for E Butte Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
E Butte Lake in Sierra County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 42750 acres.
E Butte Lake is a 42,750-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Sierra County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Sierra County, E Butte Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2020-08-06. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What E Butte Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water42,750 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. E Butte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether E Butte Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the New Mexico Environment Department and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for E Butte Lake
These are the measurements NMED publishes for E Butte Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.6 ft. Chlorophyll-a 10 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 10µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about E Butte Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
42,750 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by NMED
No bathymetric survey has been published for E Butte Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Dam SitePublic
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Marina Del SurPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near E Butte Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near E Butte Lake in Sierra County, New Mexico — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around E Butte Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near E Butte Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at E Butte Lake → · more New Mexico lake trips
Follow E Butte Lake’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing E Butte Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2014–2020). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Chlorophyll-a
0 µg/L/yr2 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
E Butte Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Elephant Butte Dam (completed 1916), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Rio Grande River; concrete-type dam, 306 ft tall and 1,379 ft long.
- Surface area
- 42,750 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,065,010 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,593,255 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 26,592.6 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Irrigation;Recreation;Hydroelectric.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00129 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.54 km)
EPA Impairment Status
E Butte Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NM-2104_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Sierra County
Frequently asked questions about E Butte Lake
Where is E Butte Lake?
- E Butte Lake is a lake in Sierra County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of E Butte Lake?
- E Butte Lake in Sierra County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10 µg/L. Surface area: 42750 acres.
Is E Butte Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. E Butte Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on E Butte Lake?
- E Butte Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Dam Site, Elephant Butte Lake State Park - Marina Del Sur. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at E Butte Lake?
- E Butte Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by New Mexico's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore E Butte Lake across LakeQuality
2 thermal springs within 23.3 mi, nearest Truth Or Consequences
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at New Mexico's top lakes, each with its readings
New Mexico's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in New Mexico
Other Lakes in New Mexico
Eutrophic Lakes in New Mexico
Where this data comes from
17 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX17 samples · 2014–2020
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory