Improvements have been added from time to time since 1930. Caballo Dam was included as a flood control unit in the Rio Grande Rectification Project and part of its cost was allocated to that purpose. It made year-round power generation at Elephant Butte Dam possible and part of the cost was allocated to that purpose, but it also provided replacement for storage lost at Elephant Butte due to silt deposition. Construction of the power transmission system, begun in 1940, was completed in 1952. The project is divided into some large family-owned and many small farming units.
Principal crops are cotton, alfalfa, vegetables, pecans, and grain.
Recreation and Fish and Wildlife Elephant Butte Reservoir has a surface area of 36,897 acres at the conservation pool water surface elevation of 4,407.0 ft. Located midway between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and El Paso, Texas., in scenic semidesert mountainous terrain, it is popular throughout the entire Southwest for boating, fishing, and swimming. Cabin sites, boat rental, and fishing tackle are available. Caballo Reservoir has a surface area of about 11,500 acres. In rough desert terrain 17 miles south of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, it provides an all-year recreation program of picnicking, boating, and fishing.