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As winter closed out, the lack of snow water inputs continuing throughout April has decreased cumulative precipitation as a percent of normal and further highlighted the difference between the current water year and that of more robust prior years throughout the monitoring record.
Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Summary By Rick Strait, State Soil Scientist
Photo: Courtesy
The latest Water Supply Outlook Report is now available.
From the Summary:
“Dry conditions persisted in New Mexico’s forecast basins through the end of April. May 1st snowpack conditions continue to be challenging. The only remaining basins with measurable snowpack to report were the Rio Grande Headwaters, Rio Chama-Upper Rio Grande, and San Juan, with 19, 9 and 27% of normal snow water equivalent respectively. Other basins in the state range did not hold snow through the reporting period. For sites that retained snow cover, record low SWE was recorded at 11 sites that monitor New Mexico Basins. Statewide, New Mexico had 1.5 inches of Snow Water Equivalent on April 30th, well below our median SWE levels of 6.7 inches.
As winter closed out, the lack of snow water inputs continuing throughout April has decreased cumulative precipitation as a percent of normal and further highlighted the difference between the current water year and that of more robust prior years throughout the monitoring record. Total precipitation accounts for both rain and snow accumulation measured across the NRCS monitoring network. Therefore, rainfall early in the water year during the fall season or rain occurring during warm cycles while snow persists on the landscape will interact with spring runoff volumes much differently than the accumulated water sitting on the ground surface as frozen snow available for melt. Dry late winter conditions this year leave little new water available for melt and runoff in the spring and early summer when many of New Mexico’s water users rely on surface water supplies most heavily.
Reservoir storage volumes again showed a significant increase over last year’s totals in the Pecos and Canadian systems for May 1. However, the Lower Rio Grande showed a significant decrease compared to last year, while others exhibited slight decreases.
Runoff projections across the state are significantly lower than normal, with percent of median streamflow forecasts running from 24 to 57%. Water users are encouraged to manage resources conservatively. Technical assistance for private and tribal land managers is available from your local NRCS Service Center.”
NRCS’s Snow Survey and Water Forecasting program monitors seasonal snowpack and annual mountain precipitation and uses the data collected to provide streamflow forecasts. These forecasts help water managers make informed management decisions and curtail water supply issues before they occur.
NRCS’s Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting program monitors seasonal snowpack and annual mountain precipitation and uses the data collected to provide streamflow forecasts. These forecasts help water managers make informed management decisions and curtail water supply issues before they occur. The data collected by the program are also used by recreationists, climate and snow researchers, and reservoir operators.
In New Mexico there are 29 Active Snow Telemetry sites. These are automated data collection sites which collect real time snow, precipitation, air temperature and soil moisture information and transmit these data by satellite. In addition, several manual snow surveys are conducted each winter month throughout the state These manual snow courses require staff to physically travel to each site to collect data. Data collection occurs typically each month from December to May.
