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El Vado Lake Water Level Today

Also known as El Vado Reservoir

Daily level, changes and history for El Vado Lake, on the Rio Chama in New Mexico.

Updated · Source: US Army Corps of EngineersUSACE Provisional

Water level Provisional

6,821.39ft

msl · 8:00 AM MST, Nov 9, 2026

  • −1.86 ftin 24 h−3.32 ft in 7 days+9.63 ft in 30 days
6,8206,8226,8246,8206,8226,824
  • 1 yr ago

Is El Vado Lake full?

El Vado Reservoir is being held far below its design full pool of 6,902 ft while the Bureau of Reclamation repairs the dam, so the page compares today's level with past years instead of with full pool. It is 1.17 ft higher than a year ago (6,820.22 ft on Nov 9, 2025).

El Vado Lake level history

View data table
DateLevel (ft)
Nov 9, 20266,821.39
Nov 8, 20266,822.95
Nov 7, 20266,824.55
Nov 6, 20266,825.84
Nov 5, 20266,827.29
Nov 4, 20266,828.23
Nov 3, 20266,829.19
Nov 2, 20266,824.71
Nov 1, 20266,815.62
Oct 31, 20266,815.48
Oct 30, 20266,816.03
Oct 29, 20266,816.98
Oct 28, 20266,817.99
Oct 27, 20266,818.76
Oct 26, 20266,820.57
Oct 25, 20266,822.60
Oct 24, 20266,823.81
Oct 23, 20266,820.19
Oct 22, 20266,812.63
Oct 21, 20266,811.86
Oct 20, 20266,811.83
Oct 19, 20266,811.91
Oct 18, 20266,811.97
Oct 17, 20266,812.00
Oct 16, 20266,811.98
Oct 15, 20266,811.99
Oct 14, 20266,811.80
Oct 13, 20266,811.65
Oct 12, 20266,811.62
Oct 11, 20266,811.67
Oct 10, 20266,811.76
  • El Vado Lake level
Source: USACE · Daily averages since 2012

El Vado Lake on Nov 9 in past years

El Vado Lake water level on Nov 9 in past years
YearLevel (ft)vs today
2026today6,821.39—
20256,820.22−1.17
20246,800.06−21.33
20236,785.56−35.83
20226,786.15−35.24
20216,827.51+6.12
20206,818.56−2.83
20196,847.38+25.99
20186,802.33−19.06
20176,871.95+50.56
20166,835.42+14.03

Today’s level is the highest for this date since 2021.

Lake facts

Highest since 2012
6,885.71 ftJun 29, 2017
Lowest since 2012
6,780.94 ftApr 16, 2023
Data since
Feb 23, 2012
Dam
El Vado Damcompleted 1971
River
Rio Chama
Owned by
Bureau of Reclamation
Dam location
Rio Arriba County
Gauge location
36.5942, −106.7333

Dam, river and owner from the National Inventory of Dams (USACE). Records cover Feb 23, 2012 to today (daily averages).

El Vado Lake map and depth

  • Level gauge
Shoreline © OpenStreetMap contributors · Open the full map
Surface area
about 3,090 acresmeasured on the OpenStreetMap outline
Height of El Vado Dam
269 ftNational Inventory of Dams

The outline shows the mapped shoreline, not today’s water line: when the lake is low, the water stands back from it.

Weather on the lake

  1. Today62°FHighLow 29°FCalmSunny
  2. Tonight29°FLowCalmMostly Clear
  3. Tuesday60°FHighLow 29°FNW 0–5 mphMostly Sunny
  4. Wednesday61°FHighLow 29°FSW 0–5 mphSunny
  5. Thursday61°FHighLow 29°FCalmSunny
  6. Friday59°FHighLow 28°FCalmSunny
  7. Saturday58°FHighLow 29°FCalmMostly Sunny

Forecast: National Weather Service for the dam area (36.59, −106.73). Wind speeds are forecasts, not measurements.

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

Is El Vado Lake rising or falling?
It is falling: −3.32 ft in the last 7 days and −1.86 ft in 24 hours, to 6,821.39 ft on 8:00 AM MST, Nov 9, 2026 (US Army Corps of Engineers).
What is the highest level in our data?
El Vado Lake reached 6,885.71 ft on Jun 29, 2017. The lowest was 6,780.94 ft on Apr 16, 2023 (USACE data since 2012; older records are not in this data set).
How much has El Vado Lake changed in the last year?
In the last 12 months it ranged from 6,809.65 ft (Sep 16, 2026) to 6,829.19 ft (Nov 3, 2026), a swing of 19.54 ft.
How often is this page updated?
This page is updated several times a day with the latest reading from US Army Corps of Engineers. The last reading is from 8:00 AM MST, Nov 9, 2026.

Where this data comes from

Hourly pool elevation from the US Army Corps of Engineers (water.usace.army.mil). Recent readings are provisional and may be revised. Weather from the National Weather Service. Dam details from the National Inventory of Dams.

Lake Levels Daily is an independent site, not affiliated with TWDB, LCRA, USACE, USGS, NOAA, TVA or any lake operator. Check official sources before making safety decisions.