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Drone Rules for Ute Lake State Park Road

Logan, New Mexico (nm) • United States
Ute Lake State Pk Rd, Logan, NM 88426, USA
Lat: 35.3572 • Lng: -103.452
Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 27, 2026
Summary
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Drone operations at Ute Lake State Park are regulated under New Mexico State Park rules administered by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) — State Parks Division. Recreational drone flights are prohibited without prior written authorization from the park manager. The park sits alon

Authorization Status

  • Recreational: ❌ Prohibited without written park manager authorization
  • Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Requires EMNRD State Parks permit + FAA Part 107 compliance
  • Wildlife Layer: ⚠️ NMDGF migratory waterfowl disturbance regulations active during spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) migration windows
  • State Layer: ⚠️ New Mexico State Park regulations — NMAC 19.6.1 et seq.

Geographic Boundaries

Ute Lake State Park is located in Quay County, New Mexico, administered by the New Mexico EMNRD State Parks Division.

  • Total area: ~1,200 surface acres (lake); ~8,010 total park acres
  • Coordinates: 35.3700° N, 103.4600° W
  • Nearest city: Logan, NM (~3 miles west)
  • Terrain: Canadian River reservoir (Ute Lake), red rock canyon walls, shortgrass prairie uplands, cottonwood riparian corridors
  • Primary recreation: boating, fishing, camping; popular with waterfowl hunters
  • Significant populations of migratory Canada geese, sandhill cranes, snow geese, and diving ducks during migration windows
  • Bald eagle winter presence documented November–February
  • Airspace: Class E above 700 ft AGL; surface Class G

Regulations

  • New Mexico Administrative Code (NMAC) 19.6.1 — State Park rules prohibit drone operations without written authorization from park manager
  • New Mexico State Parks UAS Policy — no drone launches or landings within state park boundaries without prior written permit
  • New Mexico Department of Game and Fish regulations — NMAC 19.31 et seq. prohibit harassment of wildlife including waterfowl by any means, including drone overflight; applies concurrently with state park rules
  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703) — federal migratory bird protections apply concurrently with state rules
  • Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 668) — wintering bald eagle presence triggers federal layer on top of state regulations
  • FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs all commercial UAS operations nationwide
  • Airspace: Class G at surface; Class E above 700 ft AGL — no ATC authorization required but state permit mandatory

Penalties

  • EMNRD State Parks fines under NMAC 19.6.1: up to $500 per violation + removal from park
  • NMDGF wildlife harassment: up to $1,000 per violation under NMAC 19.31
  • MBTA criminal penalties: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months imprisonment per migratory bird disturbance incident
  • BGEPA violations: fines up to $100,000 + 2 years imprisonment (second offense)
  • FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day (commercial ops)
  • State court misdemeanor charges for repeat or egregious violations

Special Permissions

  • Written authorization required from park manager before any recreational or commercial drone flight within park boundaries
  • NMDGF wildlife disturbance permit required for any operation during migration windows (March–May and September–November)
  • Commercial operators must also hold valid FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
  • Bald eagle winter presence (November–February) triggers informal USFWS coordination recommendation Submit requests to: Ute Lake State Park Manager, PO Box 52, Logan, NM 88426 NMDGF regional office: NM Dept of Game and Fish — Southeast Region, 1912 W 2nd Street, Roswell, NM 88201
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Rule sources
  • https://www.fws.gov/media/unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-policy — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, NMDGF wildlife harassment rules under NMAC 19.31, MBTA migratory waterfowl and bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA wintering eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 collectively regulate all drone operations at Ute Lake State Park.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, NMDGF wildlife harassment rules under NMAC 19.31, MBTA migratory waterfowl and bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA wintering eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 collectively regulate all drone operations at Ute Lake State Park.
  • https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, NMDGF wildlife harassment rules under NMAC 19.31, MBTA migratory waterfowl and bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA wintering eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 collectively regulate all drone operations at Ute Lake State Park.
  • https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-27/section-27.34 — New Mexico State Park regulations under NMAC 19.6.1, NMDGF wildlife harassment rules under NMAC 19.31, MBTA migratory waterfowl and bald eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 703), BGEPA wintering eagle protections (16 U.S.C. § 668), and FAA 14 CFR Part 107 collectively regulate all drone operations at Ute Lake State Park.
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