U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releasing 2,000 acre-feet of water for Carlsbad Irrigation District 

SANTA ROSA, NM – The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department State Parks Division announces it will temporarily close the boat ramp at Santa Rosa Lake State Park due to a significant water release by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The scheduled closure goes into effect at 6:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 17, 2022. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District initiated a water release on August 11 that is slated to lower Santa Rosa lake water levels by 33 feet (2,000 acre feet). At the end of the release, it is expected that there could be as little as 229 surface acres of lake available for fishing and recreation.

The Bureau of Reclamation, acting on the behalf of Carlsbad Irrigation District, requested the release to deliver the water to Brantley Dam. Carlsbad Irrigation District owns the irrigation water that makes up all of the water stored in Santa Rosa Lake. The block release is scheduled to last up to 15 days.

Santa Rosa Dam is the first major dam along the Pecos River, and its reservoir has a 2,434 square mile contributing drainage area. The two other dams, Sumner Lake and Dam, and Brantley Dam, are owned by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Santa Rosa Reservoir is a main component in the Pecos River Basin comprehensive plan, providing irrigation storage, flood control, and sediment retention.

The USACE manages the reservoir, while the campgrounds and most recreation areas are managed by the State Parks Division. For more information call Santa Rosa Lake State Park at (575) 472-3110, or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (505) 342-3171.