000 FGUS75 KABQ 091552 ESFABQ NMC001>061-312359- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 900 AM MST MON JAN 9 2006 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 FOR NEW MEXICO THROUGH THE SPRING SNOW MELT SEASON RANGES FROM BELOW NORMAL TO WELL BELOW NORMAL RUNOFF. FORECAST FLOWS ON THE RIO GRANDE INCLUDE 55 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO COCHITI LAKE AND 45 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE. OTHER FORECAST FLOWS INTO RESERVOIRS RANGE FROM 61 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT EL VADO LAKE TO 30 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO JEMEZ CANYON RESERVOIR. INFLOW TO CONCHAS LAKE IS FORECAST TO BE 42 PERCENT OF NORMAL WHILE INFLOW TO SANTA ROSA LAKE IS EXPECTED TO BE 43 PERCENT OF NORMAL. NAVAJO RESERVOIR IS EXPECTING 66 PERCENT OF NORMAL INFLOW...WHILE FLOW IN THE ANIMAS RIVER IS FORECAST AT 77 PERCENT OF NORMAL. FLOW FROM STREAMS ORIGINATING IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS OF NEW MEXICO AND FEEDING INTO THE RIO GRANDE SHOULD RANGE FROM 40 TO 67 PERCENT OF NORMAL. PRECIPITATION ACROSS NEW MEXICO DURING DECEMBER 2005 RANGED FROM WELL BELOW AVERAGE TO BARELY TRACE AMOUNTS. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION ...OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2005...RANGED FROM BELOW AVERAGE TO WELL BELOW AVERAGE. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH DECEMBER IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO IS ALSO BELOW 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 27 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 31 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IS 42 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 37 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF JANUARY 1 2005. 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 IS THE WORST SINCE 1996. THE MEAGER EARLY JANUARY SNOWPACK YEARS SINCE 1995 WERE 1996 AND 2000...WHILE THE BEST JANUARY SNOWPACK YEARS WERE 1997 AND 1995. SNOWPACK IN THE SOUTHERN SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS...WEST OF LAS VEGAS...IS ESPECIALLY LOW AS DECEMBER PRECIPITATION WAS ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER PRECIPITATION WAS LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. SNOWPACK IN THE GILA MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST NEW MEXICO IS AT LOW LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE 1981 AS OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER 2005 PRECIPITATION WAS LESS THAN 35 PERCENT OF NORMAL. IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY HEADWATERS OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN... SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT AS OF JANUARY 1 2006 WAS 34 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND ONLY 29 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 49 PERCENT OF THE 1971 TO 2000 NORMAL AND 182 PERCENT OF LAST YEARS STORAGE AT THIS TIME. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...NAVAJO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 118 PERCENT OF THE 30 YEAR NORMAL AND 155 PERCENT OF THE STORAGE OF ONE YEAR AGO. THIS WATER SUPPLY FORECAST REFLECTS CONDITIONS AS OF JANUARY 1 2006 AND ASSUMES NEAR NORMAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE SPRING SEASON. SNOW COURSE READINGS AS OF JANUARY 1 2006 OBSERVED 1971-2000 AVERAGE WATER CONTENT WATER CONTENT INCHES INCHES CHAMITA SNOTEL 1.5 3.9 RED RIVER SNOTEL 0.9 3.5 CUMBRES TRESTLE SNOTEL 3.4 10.6 WOLF CREEK SUMMIT SNOTEL 4.4 14.3 $$ EAP