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 mid-October

Water level

4.29ft Steady over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT (1 hour ago)

Flow: 133 cfs

History

7 days

Water level

What this means

The Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir is at 4.29 ft, in the normal range for mid-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.

18 Sun 71° 49° – Wind 10 mph

19 Mon 67° 56° 0.54 in, 37% Wind 9 mph

20 Tue 77° 56° 0.13 in, 37% Wind 15 mph

21 Wed 77° 64° 0.03 in, 36% Wind 7 mph

22 Thu 68° 60° 0.41 in, 63% Wind 20 mph

23 Fri 74° 58° 0.35 in, 63% Wind 17 mph

24 Sat 74° 61° 0.93 in, 25% Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:18 AM Sunset 06:30 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min Waxing gibbous 72%

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	474 cfs	Normal	−86.0 cfs	129 mi
Rio Grande near AlamedaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	216 cfs	Low	−37.0 cfs	127 mi
Rio Grande at AlbuquerqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	2.48 ft	Below flood stage	−0.10 ft	121 mi
Rio Grande at Valle De OroRiver gauge, Rio Grande	3.63 ft	No reference yet	−0.11 ft	114 mi
Rio Grande at Isleta Lakes near IsletaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	88.3 cfs	Low	−30.7 cfs	111 mi
Rio Grande near Bosque FarmsRiver gauge, Rio Grande	67.0 cfs	Normal	+15.4 cfs	106 mi
Rio Grande at State Highway 346 near BosqueRiver gauge, Rio Grande	153 cfs	Normal	−19.0 cfs	83 mi
Rio Grande at Bridge near EscondidaRiver gauge, Rio Grande	33.8 cfs	Low	±0	53 mi
Rio Grande above Us Highway 380 near San AntonioRiver gauge, Rio Grande	134 cfs	Normal	+134 cfs	41 mi
Rio Grande below Elephant Butte DamRiver gauge, Rio Grande	0.4 cfs	Very low	−0.2 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	12.22 ft	Below flood stage	+0.38 ft	22 mi
Rio Grande Conveyance Channel at San MarcialRiver gauge, Rio Grande Conveyance Channel	179 cfs	Normal	+32.0 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 20, 2026, 03:15 PM MDT, the water level was 4.29 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 mid-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	4.29 ft	2026-10-20 21:15	Provisional
Flow	133 cfs	2026-10-20 21:15	Provisional

Download

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Rio Grande at Narrows in Elephant Butte Reservoir (usgs:08359500). Accessed October 20, 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