000
WGUS65 KABQ 221621
FFAABQ
NMC045-231700-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
952 AM MDT SUN MAY 22 2005

...THE FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM MDT TUESDAY
MORNING. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...

IN NEW MEXICO...

SAN JUAN

PERSISTENT WARM TO HOT TEMPERATURES OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHWEST
COLORADO ARE RESULTING IN INCREASED SNOWMELT RUNOFF INTO THE ANIMAS
RIVER AND THE LA PLATA RIVER THAT FLOW INTO THE SAN JUAN RIVER IN
NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO. 

THE ANIMAS RIVER IS NEAR BANKFULL FROM THE STATE LINE SOUTH TO
FARMINGTON THIS MORNING AND WILL LIKELY RISE A BIT MORE THROUGHOUT
THE DAY. THE SAN JUAN RIVER FROM FARMINGTON TO SHIPROCK IS ALSO AT OR
ABOVE BANKFULL THIS MORNING AND WILL ALSO RISE A BIT MORE TODAY.

IF THE CURRENT SNOWMELT RUNOFF PACE CONTINUES...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR
THE ANIMAS RIVER AND THAT PORTION OF THE SAN JUAN RIVER FROM
FARMINGTON WESTWARD TO THE FOUR CORNERS WILL BE ISSUED EARLY NEXT
WEEK. FLOOD WARNINGS COULD BE ISSUED AS EARLY AS MONDAY MORNING.

WATER LEVELS IN THE ANIMAS RIVER AND THE SAN JUAN RIVER BELOW
FARMINGTON ARE ALREADY NEAR LEVELS NOT SEEN SINCE JUNE OF 1997 WHEN
MINOR OVERFLOW CONDITIONS WERE NOTED...BUT NO WIDESPREAD DAMAGES WERE
REPORTED. 

PERSONS WITH RIVERSIDE PROPERTY INTERESTS ALONG THE ANIMAS...SAN JUAN
AND LA PLATA RIVERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE CONTINUED RISING WATER
LEVELS.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE
WATCH AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL MEDIA OR YOUR CABLE
TELEVISION PROVIDER FOR WATCH UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FOR YOUR
COUNTY.

$$