Brantley Lake water level — New Mexico
Brantley Lake in New Mexico was last measured at 3,242.84 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 31, 2026, 2:00 AM (UTC-06:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+3.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 17,896 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+3.0 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 08401450 · USACE SPA/Brantley, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 17,650 sq mi of contributing watershed. USACE's continuous elevation record for this project begins in 1999 (2 tracked series for this project).
The dam behind Brantley Lake
Brantley Lake is held back by Brantley Dam (also recorded as Brantley Reservoir) , a concrete structure , standing 144 ft high and running 20,850 ft along its crest , built across PECOS RIVER in Eddy County , near CARLSBAD . It was completed in 1989 , and is owned by BUREAU OF RECLAMATION (a federal owner) , to a design credited to BUREAU OF RECLAMATION.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;irrigation;recreation.
Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 350 ft wide.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 39,301 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 966,300 acre-ft against a normal storage of 41,054 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 352,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NM00500 , filed by Bureau of Reclamation — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Brantley Lake compares nearby
None of the 5 nearby lakes with a current trend are rising right now — this lake's movement looks specific to its own operation rather than shared regional conditions.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Avalon | NM | — | 13 km |
| Red Bluff Reservoir | TX | 2,814.84 ft | 84 km |
| Two Rivers Dam | NM | 3,957.00 ft | 87 km |
| Diamond a Reservoir | NM | 3,957.00 ft | 90 km |
| Two River Reservoir | NM | 3,977.02 ft | 90 km |
| Lake Sumner | NM | 4,237.85 ft | 229 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Brantley Lake?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 2:00 AM (UTC-06:00), the pool elevation was 3,242.84 ft (datum NGVD29), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Brantley Lake full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 08401450 · USACE SPA/Brantley, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in New Mexico
See every lake tracked in New Mexico, or read the methodology behind these figures.