MEDIA ADVISORY:
\nJuly 21, 2026 <\/p>\n
Scheduled water release forcing boat ramp closure Santa Rosa Lake State Park <\/p>\n
SANTA ROSA, NM \u2013 New Mexico State Parks is announcing the imminent closure of the Santa Rosa Lake State Park due to a water release by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on behalf of the Carlsbad Irrigation District. <\/p>\n
The USACE Albuquerque District started releasing water from Santa Rosa Lake on July 20 and is scheduled to continue Aug. 3. This release is expected to lower the lake\u2019s elevation by approximately 36 feet, reducing reservoir storage from about 40,000 acre-feet to 3,500 acre-feet \u2013 a drop from 40% capacity down to 3%. <\/p>\n
Due to the significant decrease in water levels, the boat ramp is projected to close July 29 and will remain closed until conditions return to a safe level. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis annual release is an important coordination effort between the Carlsbad Irrigation District, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,\u201d said Toby Vel\u00e1squez, director of New Mexico State Parks. \u201cSanta Rosa Lake\u2019s water belongs to the Carlsbad Irrigation District. While the State Parks Division manages recreation at the park, the USACE oversees the reservoir and the water it stores. Camping, hiking, fishing in accessible areas, and other recreational activities will remain available, and we encourage visitors to continue enjoying the park during this period.\u201d <\/p>\n
Santa Rosa Dam is the first major dam along the Pecos River, with a contributing drainage area of 2,434 square miles. It plays a vital role in the Pecos River Basin plan, supporting irrigation storage, flood control and sediment retention. Sumner Lake Dam and Brantley Dam\u2014also key components of the basin\u2014are owned and operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. <\/p>\n
For more information:
\nSanta Rosa Lake State Park: 575-472-3110
\nU.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District: 505-342-3171 <\/p>\n
New Mexico State Parks is a division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. Our mission is to protect and enhance natural and cultural resources, provide first-class recreational and education facilities and opportunities, and promote public safety to benefit and enrich the lives of visitors. New Mexico State Parks manages 35 parks statewide and serves millions of visitors each year. For more information, visit emnrd.nm.gov\/spd\/ <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MEDIA ADVISORY: July 21, 2026 Scheduled water release forcing boat ramp closure Santa Rosa Lake State Park SANTA ROSA, NM \u2013 New Mexico State Parks is announcing the imminent closure of the Santa Rosa Lake State Park due to a water release by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on behalf of the Carlsbad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":77,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23,30,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communications","category-media-advisory","category-santa-rosa-lake-state-park"],"yoast_head":"\n