Nambe Falls Reservoir
Nambe Falls Reservoir held 1,653 acre-feet on Nov 4, 2026, 99.4% of its full pool: much above normal for the date (the middle of past years is 56.0%).
A storage reservoir: it holds water for later release. On Rio Nambe. Rio Grande basin.
These reservoirs hold water for later use. Percent full is the water held divided by what the reservoir can hold at its full pool, using the capacity that applied at the time.
Last 365 days
Percent of the full pool, against the middle and spread of the same date in other years (the shaded bands: the middle half and the 10th to 90th percentile of past years).
- Median of past years
- Percent of full pool
- 10th–90th percentile of past years
- Middle half of past years
Show the data as a table
Year by year
The highest, average and lowest percent of the full pool in each calendar year. The latest year is partial. Years whose capacity is less certain are marked in the table below.
- Highest
- Average
- Lowest
Show the data as a table
The comparison uses 22 years of 1991-2020 whose capacity figure is published, current-table, high- or medium-confidence, 1991–2020, pooling 3 days either side of each date.
Readings are what the operating agencies report; we have not audited the latest values. Reclamation labels its data "provisional and subject to revision unless otherwise noted."
Year-by-year table, with how well capacity is known
| Year | Days | Most (acre-feet) | Average | Least | Highest % | Average % | Lowest % | Capacity figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 308 | 1,657 | 1,329 | 855 | 99.6% | 79.9% | 51.4% | The operator's current table fits the record |
| 2025 | 365 | 1,651 | 1,509 | 1,133 | 99.3% | 90.7% | 68.1% | The operator's current table fits the record |
| 2024 | 366 | 1,663 | 1,505 | 1,226 | 100.0% | 90.5% | 73.7% | The operator's current table fits the record |
| 2023 | 365 | 1,751 | 1,385 | 730 | 100.1% | 79.2% | 41.7% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2022 | 365 | 1,760 | 1,652 | 1,276 | 100.6% | 94.4% | 73.0% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2021 | 365 | 1,731 | 1,368 | 1,070 | 99.0% | 78.2% | 61.2% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2020 | 366 | 2,035 | 1,491 | 758 | 99.6% | 72.9% | 37.1% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2019 | 365 | 2,042 | 1,760 | 1,045 | 99.9% | 86.1% | 51.1% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2018 | 365 | 2,025 | 1,555 | 879 | 99.1% | 76.1% | 43.0% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2017 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,820 | 938 | 99.8% | 89.0% | 45.9% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2016 | 366 | 2,041 | 1,756 | 1,133 | 99.9% | 85.9% | 55.4% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2015 | 365 | 2,061 | 1,642 | 1,060 | 100.8% | 80.3% | 51.9% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2014 | 365 | 2,052 | 1,717 | 1,053 | 100.4% | 84.0% | 51.5% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2013 | 365 | 2,094 | 1,712 | 1,087 | 102.4% | 83.8% | 53.2% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2012 | 366 | 2,038 | 1,463 | 893 | 99.7% | 71.6% | 43.7% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2011 | 365 | 2,023 | 1,355 | 824 | 99.0% | 66.3% | 40.3% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2010 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,738 | 1,193 | 99.8% | 85.0% | 58.4% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2009 | 365 | 2,036 | 1,695 | 1,096 | 99.6% | 82.9% | 53.6% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2008 | 366 | 2,034 | 1,744 | 1,188 | 99.5% | 85.3% | 58.1% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2007 | 365 | 2,034 | 1,634 | 952 | 99.5% | 79.9% | 46.6% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2006 | 365 | 2,022 | 1,405 | 814 | 98.9% | 68.7% | 39.8% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2005 | 365 | 2,047 | 1,640 | 878 | 100.1% | 80.2% | 43.0% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2004 | 366 | 1,818 | 854 | 452 | 88.9% | 41.8% | 22.1% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2003 | 365 | 2,026 | 1,114 | 449 | 99.1% | 54.5% | 22.0% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2002 | 365 | 1,630 | 1,036 | 674 | 79.7% | 50.7% | 33.0% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2001 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,467 | 873 | 99.8% | 71.8% | 42.7% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2000 | 366 | 2,025 | 1,432 | 926 | 93.4% | 66.1% | 42.7% | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 1999 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,836 | 1,510 | 94.1% | 84.7% | 69.7% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1998 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,701 | 1,060 | 94.1% | 78.5% | 48.9% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1997 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,683 | 1,190 | 94.1% | 77.7% | 54.9% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1996 | 366 | 1,940 | 1,152 | 429 | 89.5% | 53.2% | 19.8% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1995 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,618 | 1,120 | 94.1% | 74.7% | 51.7% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1994 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,660 | 990 | 94.1% | 76.6% | 45.7% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1993 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,810 | 1,510 | 94.1% | 83.5% | 69.7% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1992 | 366 | 2,040 | 1,768 | 1,230 | 94.1% | 81.6% | 56.8% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1991 | 365 | 2,050 | 1,959 | 1,620 | 94.6% | 90.4% | 74.8% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1990 | 365 | 2,030 | 1,554 | 961 | 93.7% | 71.7% | 44.3% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1989 | 365 | 2,020 | 1,451 | 884 | 93.2% | 67.0% | 40.8% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1988 | 366 | 2,030 | 1,994 | 1,870 | 93.7% | 92.0% | 86.3% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1987 | 365 | 2,050 | 1,814 | 1,420 | 94.6% | 83.7% | 65.5% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1986 | 365 | 2,030 | 1,986 | 1,820 | 93.7% | 91.7% | 84.0% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1985 | 365 | 2,040 | 1,927 | 1,420 | 94.1% | 88.9% | 65.5% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1984 | 366 | 2,040 | 1,705 | 1,110 | 94.1% | 78.7% | 51.2% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1983 | 365 | 2,050 | 1,989 | 1,914 | 94.6% | 91.8% | 88.3% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1982 | 365 | 1,975 | 1,178 | 664 | 91.1% | 54.4% | 30.6% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1981 | 365 | 1,598 | 918 | 384 | 73.7% | 42.4% | 17.7% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1980 | 366 | 2,041 | 1,534 | 840 | 94.2% | 70.8% | 38.8% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1979 | 365 | 2,059 | 1,620 | 1,190 | 95.0% | 74.8% | 54.9% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1978 | 365 | 2,033 | 1,125 | 657 | 93.8% | 51.9% | 30.3% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1977 | 1 | 654 | 654 | 654 | 30.2% | 30.2% | 30.2% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1976 | 1 | 999 | 999 | 999 | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1975 | 1 | 999 | 999 | 999 | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
| 1974 | 1 | 999 | 999 | 999 | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | Before elevation records began; capacity extrapolatednot used for "this date in other years" |
About this reservoir
A small Reclamation dam on the Rio Nambe supplying irrigation water in the Pojoaque Valley. At under 2,000 acre-feet it is by far the smallest reservoir in these reports, and it is run as a seasonal supply that refills each spring rather than as multi-year storage.
How to use these numbers
- A clean headwater snowmelt signal. Because it refills almost every spring, the timing and size of its spring rise track Sangre de Cristo snowpack on the Rio Nambe directly.
- Local irrigation demand. The summer drawdown is irrigation use in the Pojoaque Valley.
Read before quoting a number
- A few dozen acre-feet of error is several percentage points here.
- The dam registry lists the primary purpose as fish and wildlife, which does not match how the reservoir is operated.
The dam
| Dam | Nambe Falls Dam |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bureau of Reclamation (Federal) |
| Operated with | Bureau of Reclamation |
| Type | Concrete, Arch, Earth |
| Purposes, per the dam registry | Fish and Wildlife Pond, Recreation |
| Completed | 1976 |
| Height | 150 feet |
| Hazard class | High |
| Registry capacity | 2,601 acre-feet at most, 1,729 normal. Owner-reported and not corrected for sediment. |
National Inventory of Dams, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
How capacity is known
Capacity comes from the operator's elevation-to-storage table (USBR, effective 2024-01-01), checked against the storage the operator reports. Since the table took effect, it reproduces reported storage from reported elevation to within 0 acre-feet in the median (0.02% of storage), across 1,038 days. Where an older table was in force, we recover its capacity from the record and say how well supported it is.
| Pool | Elevation (ft) | Capacity now (acre-feet) | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full poolused as 100% | 6,827 | 1,663 | detected from the record: 133 days at or above 6,827 ft and none above 6,828 in 27 years |
Capacity over time (4 tables in force)
| Period | Capacity (acre-feet) | How well supported |
|---|---|---|
| 1999-10-01 to 2000-12-311999-2000 table | 2,167 | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2001-01-01 to 2020-12-222001-2020 table | 2,044 | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2021-01-04 to 2023-12-312021-2023 table | 1,749 | Capacity recovered from the record, well supported |
| 2024-01-01 to 2026-11-03current table | 1,663 | The operator's current table fits the record |
Rivers
Data and sources
Record from 1974 (53 years with readings), through Nov 4, 2026. Where several agencies report the same reservoir, we take each day's value from the first in this list that has one:
- U.S. Geological Survey NWIS: 15,649 days
- Bureau of Reclamation HydroData: 2,195 days
Year by year (CSV) · Last 365 days (CSV)
Credit: Bureau of Reclamation HydroData; U.S. Geological Survey NWIS; National Inventory of Dams (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Capacity analysis by New Mexico Water. Data accessed November 4, 2026.