Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir water level

Name: Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

River gauge, Rio Grande, New Mexico, United States

Directions

Normal for late October

Water level

4.25ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT (47 min ago)

Flow: 125 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir is at 4.25 ft, in the normal range for late October.

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 4.19 ft and 4.39 ft.

Fall is often low-water season on rivers, until steadier rain returns.

Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Highest on record: 9.40 ftMay 25, 2017

Floating and fishing near Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir

Normal flows mean predictable rapids and good access at most put-ins.

Highest crests on record

Rank	Level	Date
1	9.40 ft	May 25, 2017
2	8.95 ft	September 19, 2013
3	7.48 ft	July 11, 2015
4	7.30 ft	August 5, 2014
5	6.99 ft	June 9, 2016
6	6.63 ft	July 27, 2018

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 73° 55° – Wind 10 mph

21 Wed 82° 59° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 81° 62° 0.11 in, 71% Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 78° 60° 0.28 in, 71% Wind 27 mph

24 Sat 74° 58° 0.04 in, 49% Wind 19 mph

25 Sun 71° 55° – Wind 12 mph

26 Mon 70° 55° – Wind 21 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:19 AM Sunset 06:29 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 75%

Map

Other gauges on the Rio Grande

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Rio Grande at Alameda Bridge at AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	498 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	129 mi
Rio Grande near AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	222 cfs	Low	+3.0 cfs	127 mi
Rio Grande at AlbuquerqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.52 ft	Below flood stage	−0.07 ft	121 mi
Rio Grande at Valle De OroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.64 ft	No reference yet	−0.13 ft	114 mi
Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near IsletaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	92.8 cfs	Very low	−37.2 cfs	111 mi
Rio Grande near Bosque FarmsRiver gauge, Rio Grande	67.0 cfs	Low	−10.9 cfs	106 mi
Rio Grande at State Highway 346 near BosqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	163 cfs	Normal	±0	83 mi
Rio Grande at Bridge near EscondidaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	32.8 cfs	Low	−4.3 cfs	53 mi
Rio Grande above Us Highway 380 near San AntonioRiver gauge, Rio Grande	90.7 cfs	Normal	−541.3 cfs	41 mi
Rio Grande below Elephant Butte DamRiver gauge, Rio Grande	0.9 cfs	Low	+0.4 cfs	17 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Elephant Butte ReservoirReservoir	4,296.05 ft	Low		11 mi
Rio Grande Floodway at San MarcialRiver gauge, Rio Grande Floodway	11.77 ft	Below flood stage	+0.15 ft	22 mi
Rio Grande Conveyance Channel at San MarcialRiver gauge, Rio Grande Conveyance Channel	206 cfs	Normal	+16.0 cfs	23 mi
Caballo ReservoirReservoir	4,138.85 ft	Normal		33 mi

Questions and answers

Is gage height the same as water depth?

No. Gage height is measured from a fixed reference point chosen by the agency, so a reading of 10 ft does not mean the river is 10 ft deep.

What is the water level of Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir today?

On Oct 21, 2026, 12:15 AM MDT, the water level was 4.25 ft. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir normal?

Normal for late October. Compared with 5 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir?

The highest level on record is 9.40 ft on May 25, 2017.

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

Where does this data come from?

The values come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey, the official operator of this gauge, and are in the public domain. We do not estimate or model live values.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:08359500 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.38618, -107.16309 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Water level	4.25 ft	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional
Flow	125 cfs	2026-10-21 06:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir (usgs:08359500). Accessed October 21, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/new-mexico/rio-grande-at-narrows-in-elephant-butte-reservoir

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