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El Vado Lake water level

Lake, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Low for mid-October

Surface elevation

6,811.93ft Up 0.29 ft over the last 7 days

Water stored
17,859 acre‑ft
6,800 6,850

History

6,8006,8256,8506,875ftOct 13Oct 14Oct 15Oct 16Oct 186,8006,8256,8506,875ftOct 13Oct 15Oct 18
6,8006,850ftSep 20Sep 27Oct 4Oct 11Oct 186,8006,850ftSep 20Oct 4Oct 18
6,8006,8506,900ftOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 20266,8006,8506,900ftOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
6,8006,850ftOct 2016Apr 2019Oct 2021Apr 2024Oct 20266,8006,850ftOct 2016Oct 2021Oct 2026
6,8006,8506,900ftJanMarMayJulSepNov20266,8006,8506,900ftJanAprJulOct2026

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %)

What this means

El Vado Lake is below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 6,811.93 ft.

That puts it 42.97 ft below the median of 6,854.90 ft for mid-October, based on 36 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 6,819.89 ft (−7.96 ft).

It has risen 0.29 ft over the past week. In the last month it has stayed between 6,810.06 ft and 6,813.30 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
6,854.90 ft42.97 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date
6,796.80 ft – 6,882.04 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (36 years of records)
Same day last year
6,819.89 ft−7.96 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days
6,810.06 ft – 6,813.30 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months
6,809.65 ft – 6,820.40 ft

On the water at El Vado Lake

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

19 Mon 66° 37° – Wind 12 mph
20 Tue 63° 41° – Wind 11 mph
21 Wed 66° 44° 0.17 in, 77% Wind 11 mph
22 Thu 67° 51° 0.33 in, 91% Wind 15 mph
23 Fri 61° 49° 0.23 in, 91% Wind 19 mph
24 Sat 57° 41° 0.02 in, 29% Wind 6 mph
25 Sun 54° 38° 0.01 in Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:27 PM Daylight 11 hr, 8 min First quarter 62%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rio Chama below El Vado DamRiver gauge, Rio Chama 2.07 ft Below flood stage −0.01 ft 1.2 mi
Heron ReservoirReservoir 7,074.09 ft Very low 7 mi
Rio Chama near La PuenteRiver gauge, Rio Chama 108 cfs High −12.0 cfs 7 mi
Rio Brazos at Fishtail Road near Tierra AmarillaRiver gauge, Rio Brazos 1.06 ft No reference yet −0.02 ft 18 mi
Rio Chama above Abiquiu ReservoirRiver gauge, Rio Chama 5.15 ft Below flood stage ±0 21 mi
Rio Chama below Abiquiu DamRiver gauge, Rio Chama 2.41 ft Below flood stage −0.02 ft 30 mi
Rio Ojo Caliente at La MaderaRiver gauge, Rio Ojo Caliente 2.60 ft Below flood stage ±0 42 mi
San Juan River near CarracasRiver gauge, San Juan River 620 cfs High −99.0 cfs 43 mi

Questions and answers

How does El Vado Lake compare with last year?

It is 7.96 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 6,819.89 ft.

What is a normal level for El Vado Lake in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 6,854.90 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 6,796.80 ft and 6,882.04 ft, based on 36 years of records.

Is El Vado Lake really 6,811.93 ft deep?

No. 6,811.93 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of El Vado Lake today?

On Oct 18, 2026, the surface elevation was 6,811.93 ft. Up 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is El Vado Lake rising or falling?

Up 0.29 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of El Vado Lake normal?

Low for mid-October. Compared with 36 years of daily readings for this time of year.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation publishes a new reading once a day. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Station code
usbr:324 (Agency page)
Coordinates
36.59480, -106.73660 (WGS84)
Update interval
once a day
Licence
Public domain. Data: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (RISE), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Surface elevation 6,811.93 ft 2026-10-18 07:00 Provisional
Water stored 17,859 acre‑ft 2026-10-18 07:00 Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: El Vado Lake (usbr:324). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/el-vado-lake

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer