community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Cochiti Lake, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 65% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (74th percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.2 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Cochiti Lake?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Jul 16 to Oct 31 (green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Cochiti Lake, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Apr 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, weedy mustards; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, garden flowers, asters; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.2 mi S, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Cochiti Lake
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe; Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon-Juniper Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.52 mi NW.
How Cochiti Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 23rd | 52nd | 30th | 73rd |
| New Mexico | 65th | 74th | 61st | 67th |
| Arizona/New Mexico Plateau | 90th | 94th | 79th | 62nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Cochiti Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cochiti 3 mi · Peña Blanca 5 mi · La Bajada 8 mi · Santo Domingo Pueblo 9 mi · White Rock 13 mi · La Cienega 14 mi
All towns in New Mexico · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Cochiti Lake (35.6478, -106.3425); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.