Low water levels at Elephant Butte State Park are becoming a major concern to boaters and engineers who monitor the popular destination.

An ongoing drought has dropped water levels at the lake to well below average, according to a July 29 KRQE report. It makes for hazardous conditions for boaters unsure if the water depth is safe.

“This is the lowest I have ever seen it,” Marcos Rivera, an avid boater on the lake told KRQE. “I’m kind of nervous about sandbars and rocks. Even at the inspection station, they said to be very careful because there are rocks and sandbars. That’s worrisome because that can be dangerous.”

Elephant Butte reportedly contains only 50,000-acre-feet of water when it should be at least ten times that or more, officials said according to KRQE.

“It’s worrisome because if there is no more water then this community gets hurt, Las Cruces gets hurt, El Paso gets hurt and it’s just a total bummer,” Rivera said. “I am worried that we may not be able to come here for much longer.”

Elephant Butte has been below the average water level since 2019, leaving it unable to satisfy the irrigation demands of those who depend on the water for irrigation, KRQE reported. Farmers are being allocated only a foot of water this season, rather than the normal three feet or more.

“The main impact is that it’s a significant reduction in irrigation water supplies for over 150 thousand acres of farmland, but also provides a supply of water to Mexico as well,” New Mexico State Engineer Mike Hamman told KRQE. "Numerous communities and countries, in this case, Mexico, are affected by the low water supplies at Elephant Butte."