Santa Rosa Lake water level — New Mexico
Santa Rosa Lake in New Mexico was last measured at 4,694.24 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+0.4 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- 3,849 acre-ft
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+0.4 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-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: USACE SPA/Santa Rosa, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Santa Rosa Lake
Santa Rosa Lake is held back by Santa Rosa Dam (also recorded as Santa Rosa Lake; Los Esteros Dam) , a rockfill embankment — quarried rock placed in compacted layers around a sealing core , standing 214 ft high and running 1,900 ft along its crest , built across PECOS RIVER in Guadalupe County , near SANTA ROSA . It was completed in 1979 , and is owned by USACE - Albuquerque District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CESPA.
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;other;irrigation;recreation.
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. 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 1,050 ft wide. Its outlet works use vertical lift0.
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 16,670 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 717,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 200,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 353,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record NM00158 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Santa Rosa Lake compares nearby
None of the 6 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 Sumner | NM | 4,237.85 ft | 55 km |
| Conchas Lake | NM | 4,180.59 ft | 62 km |
| Ute Reservoir | NM | 3,784.41 ft | 119 km |
| Mcclure Reservoir | NM | 7,834.23 ft | 127 km |
| Nichols Reservoir | NM | 7,474.60 ft | 130 km |
| Nambe Falls Reservoir | NM | 6,808.72 ft | 143 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Santa Rosa Lake?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 4,694.24 ft (datum NAVD88). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Santa Rosa 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 USACE SPA/Santa Rosa, 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.