Costilla Reservoir water level — New Mexico
Costilla Reservoir in New Mexico was last measured at 865 acre-ft of storage (no elevation gauge reported), as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:30 AM (UTC-06:00) (USGS Water Services). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- Pool elevation
- Not reported
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 865 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- Not enough data
This station reports storage but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
Recent trend
Not enough recent readings to show a trend.
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 08253900, 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 55 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Costilla Reservoir
Costilla Reservoir is held back by Costilla Dam , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 138 ft high and running 780 ft along its crest , built across RIO COSTILLA in Taos County , near AMALIA . It was completed in 1920 and modified in 1993 , and is owned by RIO COSTILLA COOPERATIVE LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION (a private owner) , to a design credited to USBR.
Its recorded primary purpose is irrigation — the pool is drawn down across the growing season to serve water rights downstream, then refilled over winter .
It is founded on unlisted/unknown. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 35 ft wide. Its outlet works use valve0.
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. Its most recent condition assessment was fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 05/30/2025.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 416 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 30,499 acre-ft against a normal storage of 15,830 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 20,200 cubic feet per second. It is regulated by OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NM00020 , filed by New Mexico — 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 →)
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Nest Lake | NM | 8,160.53 ft | 39 km |
| Trinidad Lake | CO | 6,171.72 ft | 71 km |
| Lake Maloya | NM | 7,509.01 ft | 81 km |
| Platoro Reservoir | CO | 9,987.05 ft | 124 km |
| Abiquiu Reservoir | NM | 6,198.99 ft | 125 km |
| Nambe Falls Reservoir | NM | 6,808.72 ft | 128 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Costilla Reservoir?
- This lake reports storage (865 acre-ft as of Aug 31, 2026, 1:30 AM (UTC-06:00)) but no elevation gauge — its managing agency does not publish a pool-elevation reading here.
- Is Costilla Reservoir 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 08253900, 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.