A wave of upgrades sweeps Elephant Butte Lake, making for ‘best season yet’

Elephant Butte Lake’s marinas are getting a makeover just in time for summer season at the lake.

Marina Vista, led by husband-and-wife duo Peter and Erin Meiusi, took over operations at the lake, including its two marinas, Marina Del Sur and Dam Site Marina, and its guest accommodations, Dam Site Lodging, in May of last year. The two have been on a mission to elevate the lake experience with new upgrades and activities ever since.

“Recognizing that the marinas have remained fairly stagnant for the past decade, we are working diligently to not only improve the facilities but also to inject new energy into the lake experience,” Peter Meiusi said.

Recent developments at the lake’s marinas include new and expanded fuel docks; new restrooms; new paint and signage across all marinas; expanded merch collections coming soon; upgrades at the Marina Del Sur store; and a complete renovation of the Dam Site Marina store, which will be reopening this spring.

Lodging at Elephant Butte is receiving some love as well. Lodging options, including casitas, lodges, RV sites and historic canyon homes, are being expanded and renovated. Construction on these facilities is expected to wrap up by September.

All casitas and lodging units are also being listed on Expedia and Airbnb to make booking easier for guests.

The Bureau of Reclamation is helping out with the makeover by doing work within the Dam Site Historic District. The bureau is repaving roads, burying power lines and implementing electric vehicle charging stations and dark sky lighting — light fixtures designed to reduce light pollution by directing light toward the ground.

Meiusi said Marina Vista is working closely with the bureau to also reopen the Dam Site Restaurant that overlooks the lake and closed roughly three to four years ago. Meiusi said the restaurant project is between 18 and 24 months away from a reopening.

Finally, the lake’s offerings and experiences are growing to include more activities and events, as well as more boating vessels, including six new double-decker tritoons — a boat similar to a pontoon with three floating tubes instead of two.

“With these enhancements, Elephant Butte is set for its best season yet,” a news release from Marina Vista said.

Marina Vista is a family-run operation led by the Meiusis, who also own and operate Clinton Marina in Lawrence, Kansas. With backgrounds in finance and collegiate athletics, the Meiusis took over operations at Clinton Marina in 2020. Their improvements of that marina led them to receive the “National Large Marina of the Year Award” in 2024.

The couple had been looking to expand and take on another project for two years when they came across Elephant Butte, formerly owned by Lago Rico, Inc.

“We knew that it was the perfect fit for us. Lots of potential at the lake, which we felt was being underutilized but had good bones,” Meiusi said. “We were impressed with some of the existing managers and felt like we could apply the same playbook that we did at Clinton Marina to the Elephant Butte facilities and overall culture.”

A wave of upgrades sweeps Elephant Butte Lake, making for 'best season yet'

The two were also drawn to recent development and changes in ownership at Turtleback Mountain Golf & Resort, formerly Sierra del Rio Golf Course, which seemed to indicate “positive tailwinds for the Elephant Butte area,” Meiusi said.

Operating in two states has been a positive experience, Meiusi said, adding it’s enabled Marina Vista to establish a work exchange program in which Elephant Butte Lake staff can apply to train at Clinton Marina for a period, and vice versa.

Part of the “good bones” Meiusi referred to include Marina Del Sur, the lake’s main marina, which houses the lake’s 20 rental boats and has 140 boat slips, or boat parking spots. This marina is the working space for the lake’s boat mechanic, who services slip members and the public, but priority is given to slip member boats.

Dam Site Marina has 181 slips, one of which facilitates a vessel roughly 106 feet long, Meiusi said.

Despite lake levels being lower than in years past, Meiusi said he believes the conversations surrounding Elephant Butte’s water do not do the lake justice.

“Even at 5% levels, it’s still the largest lake in New Mexico, stretching over 15 miles long with 25 square miles of boatable area,” Meiusi said.

The owner said he hopes the improvements made, as well as a revitalized event lineup, add to the lake experience and create a fun environment for more families to enjoy.

“Even though we have done a ton of projects this offseason already, we feel like we’re just getting started and are very excited for this coming season and beyond,” Meiusi said.

A wave of upgrades sweeps Elephant Butte Lake, making for 'best season yet'