000 FGUS75 KABQ 081947 ESFABQ NMC001>061-312359- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 100 PM MST MON JAN 8 2007 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 THROUGH THE SPRING SNOW MELT SEASON RANGES FROM BELOW NORMAL RUNOFF IN THE RIVERS AND STREAMS OF WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO TO ABOVE NORMAL RUNOFF FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS THAT ORIGINATE IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. FORECAST FLOWS ON THE RIO GRANDE INCLUDE 95 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO COCHITI LAKE AND 91 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE. OTHER RIO GRANDE BASIN RESERVOIR FORECAST INFLOWS RANGE FROM 91 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT EL VADO LAKE TO 106 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT JEMEZ CANYON RESERVOIR. INFLOW TO CONCHAS LAKE IS FORECAST TO BE 113 PERCENT OF NORMAL WHILE INFLOW TO SANTA ROSA LAKE IS EXPECTED TO BE 100 PERCENT OF NORMAL. NAVAJO RESERVOIR IS EXPECTING 89 PERCENT OF NORMAL INFLOW. FLOW FROM STREAMS ORIGINATING IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO AND FEEDING INTO THE RIO GRANDE SHOULD RANGE FROM 100 TO 145 PERCENT OF NORMAL. INFLOW TO BLUEWATER LAKE IS FORECAST TO BE 77 PERCENT OF NORMAL... WHILE STREAMFLOWS IN THE GILA RIVER BASIN SHOULD ONLY BE ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. PRECIPITATION ACROSS NEW MEXICO DURING DECEMBER 2006 RANGED FROM WELL BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN THIRDS OF THE STATE TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE FROM THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS AND CENTRAL RIO GRANDE VALLEY EASTWARD TO THE EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST PLAINS. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION...OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2006... RANGED FROM WELL BELOW AVERAGE IN SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE IN THE MID RIO GRANDE VALLEY AND IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS NEAR THE COLORADO STATE LINE. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH DECEMBER IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO IS SLIGHTLY 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 JANUARY 1 WAS 84 PERCENT OF NORMAL...BUT 327 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO WHEN THERE WAS LITTLE IF ANY SNOW IN THE NORTHERN NEW MEXICO MOUNTAINS. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IS 79 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 189 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF JANUARY 1 2006. LOOKING AT HISTORICAL JANUARY 1 SNOWPACK AMOUNTS IN THE NEW MEXICO PORTION OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN GOING BACK TO 1995...THE CURRENT EARLY SNOWPACK RANKS SEVENTH OF THE PAST 13 YEARS. IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY HEADWATERS OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN... SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT AS OF JANUARY 1 2006 WAS 94 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 280 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS WELL BELOW NORMAL IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN AND THE CANADIAN BASIN...NEAR NORMAL IN THE PECOS BASIN...AND ABOVE NORMAL AT NAVAJO LAKE. IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...STORAGE IS 54 PERCENT OF THE 1971 TO 2000 NORMAL AND 108 PERCENT OF LAST YEARS STORAGE AT THIS TIME. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...NAVAJO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 120 PERCENT OF THE 30 YEAR NORMAL...AND 101 PERCENT OF THE STORAGE OF ONE YEAR AGO. THIS WATER SUPPLY FORECAST REFLECTS CONDITIONS AS OF JANUARY 1 2007 AND ASSUMES NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE WINTER AND SPRING. SNOW COURSE READINGS AS OF JANUARY 1 2007 OBSERVED 1971-2000 AVERAGE WATER CONTENT WATER CONTENT INCHES INCHES CHAMITA SNOTEL 2.3 3.9 RED RIVER SNOTEL 6.3 3.5 CUMBRES TRESTLE SNOTEL 8.4 10.6 WOLF CREEK SUMMIT SNOTEL 13.8 14.3 $$ EAP