National Register of Historic Places

Elephant Butte Dam

Elephant Butte, Sierra County, New Mexico
Listed
April 8, 1979
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79001556

About this property

Elephant Butte Dam or Elephant Butte Dike, originally Engle Dam, is a concrete gravity dam on the Rio Grande near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, in the United States. The dam impounds Elephant Butte Reservoir, which is used mainly for agriculture but also provides for recreation, hydroelectricity, and flood and sediment control. The construction of the dam has reduced the flow of the Rio Grande to a small stream for most of the year, with water being released only during the summer irrigation season or during times of exceptionally heavy snow melt.

Location

Elephant Butte, Sierra County, New Mexico
33.15522, -107.19255

Categories

AGRICULTURECONSERVATIONENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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This page lists Elephant Butte Dam. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Elephant Butte Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
US Post Office-Truth or Consequences Main
Industrial
3.9 mi
Hot Springs Bathhouse and Commerical Historic District in Truth or Consequences
Industrial
4.1 mi
Tingley, Carrie, Hospital Historic District
Industrial
4.6 mi
Percha Diversion Dam
Listed
20.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Elephant Butte Dam listed on the National Register?

Elephant Butte Dam was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 8, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Elephant Butte Dam?

Elephant Butte Dam is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Elephant Butte Dam?

The period of significance for Elephant Butte Dam is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Elephant Butte Dam?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Elephant Butte Dam will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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