U.S. Water News Online
ANTHONY, N.M. -- Ruben Franco usually starts planning his alfalfa crop this time of year, but predictions of lower than average runoff and a poor irrigation outlook have forced him to give up his crop.
Below-average snowfall in the mountains this winter have led to predictions of lower-than-average runoff that supplies the Rio Grande, irrigation ditches and reservoirs in southern New Mexico.
"Right now I think I'm going to give up the land I'm farming because I won't have the water," said Franco, who usually grows about 30 acres of alfalfa in Anthony.
Richard Armijo, snow surveyor with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Albuquerque, said runoff projections could be as little as 20 percent of average this year.
That compares to 130 percent of average a year ago. It is lower than runoff levels in 2003 and 2004, which were considered to be two of the worst runoff years in recent history.
"We didn't fare very well in February," Armijo said. "We're looking at a snowpack that peaked two or three weeks ago, and in a normal year it wouldn't peak until right around April."
In addition, dry winds have eaten away at the snow that did fall, he said.
Farmers are bracing themselves for a water shortage. Last month, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District allotted farmers 14 acre-inches of river water, an amount that's not likely to increase by much, said Phil King, a water engineer consultant for the irrigation district.
The district considers a full allotment to be 3 acre feet of water.
Irrigation District Manager Gary Esslinger said he thinks farmers are more prepared to deal with a smaller allocation because of their experience in recent drought years.
"They've already gone through it in 2003 and 2004," he said.
Elephant Butte Lake and Caballo Reservoir also rely on runoff from the mountain snowmelt.
The water level at Elephant Butte Lake in late September is estimated to be 55,400 acre feet, said Wayne Treers, water engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
"We haven't been that low since October of 1961," Treers said.
Water stored at Elephant Butte was set to peak at 506,000 acre feet, about 28 percent of capacity, just before it's released for irrigation.
State park officials and businesses that depend on Elephant Butte worry that reports of poor runoff will keep away visitors.
But last year, even when the water was at its lowest point, it was safe to boat on the lake, said Mike Ormand, superintendent of Elephant Butte Lake State Park.
Visitors "might have to drive farther in the sand to get to their favorite spot," he said. "If they don't see that as a problem, it continues to be a great opportunity."
Randy Gomez, a fisherman from Dona Ana, said he would prefer to have more water, but low lake levels don't faze him.
"The water levels make a huge difference, but it just depends on what perspective you take when you go out there," he said.
Other fishers are more hesitant about visiting the lake when water levels are low.
Mike Gamboa of Las Cruces, a professional bass fisherman, said the fishing quality of the lake declined several years ago when the water level first began dropping. Rapid drops in the water level kill fish eggs that are laid at the edge of the lake because they dry out, he said.
"I don't think I'll ever see it as good as when I started fishing in 1990," he said. "It's unfortunate."
Return to the U.S. Water News' past archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields