000 FGUS75 KABQ 052028 ESFABQ NMC001>061-312359- HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM 230 PM MDT THU MAY 5 2005 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 AND EARLY SUMMER SNOW MELT SEASON REMAINS THE MOST ENCOURAGING RUNOFF PREDICTION SINCE 1995. FORECAST FLOWS ON THE RIO GRANDE ARE FOR 159 PERCENT OF NORMAL RUNOFF INTO COCHITI LAKE AND 166 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE. OTHER RESERVOIR INFLOW FORECASTS INCLUDE 137 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR CONCHAS LAKE AND EL VADO LAKE...AND 208 PERCENT OF NORMAL FOR SANTA ROSA LAKE. NAVAJO RESERVOIR IS EXPECTING 173 PERCENT OF NORMAL INFLOW...WHILE FLOW IN THE ANIMAS RIVER IS FORECAST AT 143 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 143 PERCENT TO AS MUCH AS 169 PERCENT OF NORMAL. PRECIPITATION DURING APRIL 2005 WAS NEAR NORMAL TO BELOW NORMAL ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN PLAINS OF NEW MEXICO. FROM THE CENTRAL MOUNTAIN CHAIN WESTWARD...APRIL PRECIPITATION RANGED FROM NEAR NORMAL TO ABOVE NORMAL. THE FIRST 4 MONTHS OF 2005 HAVE BEEN THE WETTEST START TO ANY YEAR ON RECORD FOR ALBUQUERQUE. WATER YEAR 2005 PRECIPITATION...OCTOBER 2004 THROUGH APRIL 2005.. RANGES FROM ABOVE AVERAGE TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE IN NEW MEXICO. 2005 WATER YEAR PRECIPITATION THROUGH APRIL IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO HAS ALSO RANGED FROM ABOVE AVERAGE TO WELL 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 1ST WAS 136 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 195 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT WAS 136 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 151 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF MAY 1 2004. LOOKING AT THE HISTORICAL MAY 1ST SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IN THE NEW MEXICO PORTION OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...THE 2005 TOTAL RANKS AS THE BEST SINCE 1995. IN THE COLORADO PORTION OF THE UPPER RIO GRANDE BASIN...SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT AS OF MAY 1 2005 WAS 139 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 136 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO. NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR STORAGES RANGE FROM 139 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT SANTA ROSA LAKE TO 24 PERCENT OF AVERAGE AT ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE. IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...TOTAL STORAGE IN 8 RESERVOIRS IS 37 PERCENT OF THE 1971 TO 2000 AVERAGE AND 105 PERCENT OF LAST YEARS STORAGE AT THIS TIME. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...NAVAJO RESERVOIR STORAGE HAS IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR...NAVAJO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS 108 PERCENT OF THE 30 YEAR AVERAGE...AND 160 PERCENT OF THE STORAGE OF ONE YEAR AGO. THIS WILL BE THE FINAL WATER SUPPLY NEWS RELEASE FOR 2005. SNOW COURSE READINGS AS OF MAY 1 2005 OBSERVED 1971-2000 AVERAGE WATER CONTENT WATER CONTENT INCHES INCHES CHAMITA SNOTEL 3.6 1.4 RED RIVER SNOTEL 0.2 2.2 CUMBRES TRESTLE SNOTEL 31.7 23.3 WOLF CREEK SUMMIT SNOTEL 49.3 36.8 $$ EAP