NEWS RELEASE
$250,000 South Monticello Road Paving Project
Completed at Elephant Butte Lake State Park
Low-Water Boat Ramp at Dam Site to Close May 9
T or C, N.M. –New Mexico State Parks announced today that a $250,000 project to pave the access road to the South Monticello campground and boat ramp at Elephant Butte Lake State Park is complete. The project makes a major improvement to the South Monticello area, the park’s newest and farthest north developed area, which opened to the public in 2004.
“This will dramatically improve visitor access to Monticello and the project finished right in time to welcome visitors for the start of the main season,” said Park Superintendent Kay Dunlap. “The water conditions at the Butte are great and are we are expecting high visitation this summer.”
The South Monticello area features a 50-site campground with full hookups in a scenic spot that overlooks the lake; a state-of-the-art, solar-powered comfort station; and a massive, ten-lane wide boat ramp that is 1,000 feet long. This year’s higher lake level means that the South Monticello ramp is fully operational right now and should remain suitable for use well into the 2009 season. When the ramp is useable, the campground has proven popular; ten of the campground sites can be reserved in advance through the State Park website (www.nmparks.com <http://www.nmparks.com/> ) or by calling the toll-free reservation number, 1-877-664-7787.
Park staff and concessionaires are gearing up for one of the lake’s best years in recent history for water levels. Predictions are that Elephant Butte Lake will rise to more than one million acre-feet by July 1. At this high level, some of the best fishing locations at the lake’s northern end will be easily accessible from the South Monticello ramp and the Narrows area should be accessible by boat for a large portion of the summer.
The rising water levels, however, also mean that State Parks will close the low-water boat ramp at the Dam Site beginning May 9.
“The water has risen to the point that the ramp is unsafe and there is not enough parking to accommodate boat trailers,” said Boating Manager Harold Zuni.
Camping will be allowed in the area of the Dam Site, as long as space and a safe access route is available. Boat trailer parking will not be allowed in the Dam Site Restaurant parking lot due to limited space and boat trailers will not be permitted past the restaurant because of the closed ramp.
Elephant Butte Lake will continue to offer three full-service launching ramps – Rock Canyon, Marina del Sur and South Monticello – for most of the summer and more than 100 developed sites and thousands of primitive sites.
Visitors, park staff and the communities of Elephant Butte and Truth or
Consequences are excited for the upcoming season and the prospects for
improved
recreational opportunities with increased water levels. The lake is New
Mexico’s premier water recreation facility.
Elephant Butte Lake State Park offers a wide variety of water sports, with
fishing being one of the most popular. The mild climate of the area makes
this
park a popular year round destination. Elephant Butte Lake State Park
headquarters are five miles north of Truth or Consequences via Interstate 25
at
exit 83. For more information, call 575-744-5421 or visit www.nmparks.com
<http://www.nmparks.com/> .
Over 75 years, State Parks has evolved from a federal New Deal initiative in
1933 to a vibrant system of 34 parks serving over 4 million people annually.
New Mexico State Parks celebrates its 75th Diamond Anniversary throughout
2008
with a 3-carat diamond bracelet giveaway, special events, the Geocaching
Challenge, Outdoor Classroom initiatives and more. For more information,
call
888-NMPARKS or visit www.nmparks.com.
The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department provides resource
protection
and renewable energy resource development services to the public and other
state agencies.
New Mexico State Parks
1220 South St. Francis Drive ▪ Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
Phone (505) 476-3355 ▪ Fax (505) 476-3361 ▪ www.nmparks.com
