U.S. Water News Online
FARMINGTON, N.M. -- Last year, city officials here enacted an ordinance that encouraged residents to voluntarily conserve water.
This year, thanks to an abundant winter snow pack and rains, the message has changed.
Now, when it comes to water, it's use it or lose it.
"I don't want to see people wasting water, but it is productive to have lawns and to have a nice-looking community," said City Councilor Mary Fisher.
The City Council unanimously repealed a measure that previously encouraged Farmington residents to limit their water use. The repeal was possible because of high water levels in the Animas River, which feeds into Farmington Lake.
"With the snowpack we have in the mountains this year and the predicted rates of flow in the river throughout the summer months, we think we'll be able to keep Farmington Lake full," said City Councilor Tommy Roberts. "We want to let people know that there's plenty of water to be used."
City manager Bob Hudson said Lake Farmington was at 94 percent of its capacity in April, compared to 84 percent in the same month last year. He said the lake is expected to be at 100 percent of its capacity by early June.
Mayor Bill Standley said the abundance of the river and the lake's water levels could cause flooding. The city bought 10,000 sand bags to prepare.
"Just in case we have a rapid melt and we have more water than what the river banks can accommodate," Standley said. "We're watching that very closely."
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