Elephant Butte Lake
The History
Elephant Butte Reservoir is the largest reservoir in New Mexico, 130 miles from El Paso, Texas, and 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences.
The reservoir began filling in 1915, and at full capacity became the largest man-made lake in the world. Built as part of the Rio Grande Project, it was intended to revive the fertility of farmland soil in the Rincon and Mesilla Valleys. Today, the reservoir's storage remains crucial to the Rio Grande as it provides power and irrigation water to New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.
It is impounded by Elephant Butte Dam and became part of the largest state park in New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park, in 1964. Before it was known as Elephant Butte, there were three prospective names: Lake Esperanza, Lake Hall, and Lake Engle. Ultimately, Elephant Butte Reservoir was named after its Elephant-like shape.