000 FGUS75 KABQ 072019 ESFABQ NMC001>061-312359- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 300 PM MST WED MAY 7 2008 WATER SUPPLY FORECAST NEWS RELEASE FOR NEW MEXICO THIS IS A COORDINATED RELEASE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE. THE WATER SUPPLY FORECAST AS OF EARLY MAY 2008 RANGES FROM WELL ABOVE NORMAL RUNOFF IN THE UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN AND RIO CHAMA BASIN TO WELL BELOW NORMAL RUNOFF FOR STREAMS ORIGINATING IN THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND FOR THE CANADIAN RIVER IN NORTHEAST NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE REST OF THIS SPRING AND INTO EARLY SUMMER. FORECAST FLOWS ON THE RIO GRANDE INCLUDE 137 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO COCHITI LAKE AND 121 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE. OTHER RIO GRANDE BASIN RESERVOIR FORECAST INFLOWS RANGE FROM 139 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT EL VADO LAKE TO 80 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT JEMEZ CANYON RESERVOIR. INFLOW TO CONCHAS LAKE IS FORECAST TO BE ONLY 44 PERCENT OF NORMAL WHILE INFLOW TO SANTA ROSA LAKE IS EXPECTED TO BE 83 PERCENT OF NORMAL. NAVAJO RESERVOIR IS EXPECTING 131 PERCENT OF NORMAL INFLOW. FLOW IN THE RIO RUIDOSO IS FORECAST TO BE ONLY 33 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN MAY AND JUNE. NEW MEXICO PRECIPITATION DURING APRIL 2008 WAS WELL BELOW NORMAL NEARLY STATEWIDE FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH. HOWEVER A FEW SITES IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE EAST SLOPES DID RECEIVE MORE THAN 70 PERCENT OF NORMAL APRIL PRECIPITATION. MUCH DRIER THAN NORMAL CONDITIONS ALSO PREVAILED ACROSS SOUTHERN COLORADO DURING APRIL. THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF NEW MEXICO AND THE EAST CENTRAL PLAINS HAVE BEEN THE DRIEST AREAS OF THE STATE SO FAR IN 2008...AVERAGING LESS THAN 30 PERCENT OF NORMAL PRECIPITATION. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION...OCTOBER 2007 THROUGH APRIL 2008...RANGED FROM WELL BELOW AVERAGE IN THE EASTERN PLAINS AND SOUTHERN THIRD OF NEW MEXICO TO ABOVE AVERAGE IN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH APRIL IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO HAD BEEN ABOVE AVERAGE. SURVEYS BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURES NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE INDICATE THAT SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN AS OF MAY 1 WAS 107 PERCENT OF NORMAL...AND 170 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IS 111 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 201 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF MAY 1 2007. JUST TWO MONTHS AGO...THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT WAS 147 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN AND 158 PERCENT OF NORMAL IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN. SINCE EARLY MARCH THE STORM TRACK HAS SHIFTED FURTHER NORTH TOWARD THE GREAT BASIN...EXPOSING NEW MEXICO AND MUCH OF SOUTHERN COLORADO TO PERSISTENT DRY WINDS AND VERY LOW HUMIDITY. THE COMBINATION OF FEW SPRING STORMS...DESICCATING WINDS AND PREMATURE SNOWMELT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY LIMITED THE REMAINING SNOWPACK TO THE VERY HIGH ELEVATIONS. IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY HEADWATERS OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN... SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT AS OF MAY 1 2008 WAS 117 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 170 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS WELL BELOW NORMAL IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN AND THE CANADIAN BASIN...BELOW NORMAL IN THE PECOS BASIN...AND ABOVE NORMAL AT NAVAJO LAKE. IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN... STORAGE IS 59 PERCENT OF THE 1971 TO 2000 NORMAL AND 96 PERCENT OF LAST YEARS STORAGE AT THIS TIME. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...NAVAJO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 106 PERCENT OF THE 30 YEAR NORMAL...AND 84 PERCENT OF THE STORAGE OF ONE YEAR AGO. THIS WATER SUPPLY FORECAST REFLECTS CONDITIONS AS OF THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF MAY 2008. SNOTEL DATA MAY 1 2008 1971-2000 AVERAGE WATER CONTENT WATER CONTENT INCHES INCHES CHAMITA 0.0 1.4 RED RIVER 0.0 2.2 CUMBRES TRESTLE 28.9 23.3 WOLF CREEK SUMMIT 46.0 36.8 $$ EAP