community in New Mexico
Honey bee forage in Conchas Dam, New Mexico
Estimated forage here is better than about 62% of sites in New Mexico. Against other New Mexico sites it stands out most in spring (94th percentile) and lowest in fall (14th). Biggest nearby bee crops: millet (nearest 3.7 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Conchas Dam?
- First forage: Feb 16 (native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to May 31, peaking early May (summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Conchas Dam, 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 Mar 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); water white, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Summer honey (July and August): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, asters; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), native wildflowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); water white, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Millet: about 55 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.7 mi NE, blooms late May – late Jun (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 Conchas Dam
Mostly: Western Great Plains Mesquite Shrubland; Western Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.34 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.4 mi E.
How Conchas Dam ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 21st | 67th | 11th | 31st |
| New Mexico | 62nd | 94th | 19th | 14th |
| Southwestern Tablelands | 11th | 83rd | 3rd | 9th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 87% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Conchas Dam: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Newkirk 21 mi · Tucumcari 30 mi · Mosquero 32 mi · Santa Rosa 40 mi · Roy 41 mi · Logan 42 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 Conchas Dam (35.3548, -104.1954); 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.