Late snow, ‘miracle May’ best NM water news in years

[TexasTowelie]

After three very dry years in a row, this year’s spring runoff and river flow, merely OK by some measures, is looking pretty special.

May rains and late-season snow put enough water into the Rio Grande to boost its flow to the highest level in five years, meet the needs of farmers and still leave enough for storage.

“The miracle May set up things very nicely for the district going into summer,” said Mike Hamman, CEO and chief engineer of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which delivers water to about 70,000 acres of cropland in the middle Rio Grande Valley.

Miracle or not, this May was the eighth-wettest on record for New Mexico. Albuquerque received 1.86 inches of rain, well above its half-inch average for the month.

Read more: http://www.abqjournal.com/607691

[SheilaT]

1. I likewise live in NM,

and even though I've noticed the recent rains, I had not realized they'd been as significant as they are.

I do know when there's enough rain, my small back yard looks like a Permian coal forest. Not quite that green at this point, but it's getting there.

[chillfactor]

2. I also live in New Mexico....

we are in the monsoon season now so we are getting more rain...love it!

[Gloria]

3. We had more rain this am and evening, after a torrential rain

A few days ago...lots of rain, earlier and more often this year.

I'm in Las Cruces!,,

[marked50]

4. Some usually dry "river" beds are flowing.

Saw water in the Rio Puerco a couple of days ago. Let's hope the rains continue and we have another good snow year.

[jomin41]

5. The Rio Grande at Los Lunas and Belen

has been flowing pretty strongly now for a couple of weeks. Anybody know what Elephant Butte looks like?

[TexasTowelie]

6. It is currently 17.3% full.

341,579 acre-feet of water. It was up to nearly 20% at one point about a month ago.

[PasadenaTrudy]

7. I'll be in Corrales

in Oct. for some R&R for a few days. I always look forward to my annual NM trips, should be nice this year after all the rain. Better Call Saul starts shooting in ABQ this week, hope the weather doesn't delay things like it did last year.