The Natural Resources Conservation Service has released its basin outlook reports, which include the effects of recent heavy snowfall in New Mexico.
According to the NRCS, the snowpack depths for each basin in New Mexico reflect double last year’s numbers. Water year-to-date precipitation for December 2015 was 137 percent of average, and as of Jan. 1, snowpack levels across the state were at 139 percent.
Winter storm Goliath in late December brought upwards of two feet of snow in some of the southern and eastern portions of the state, resulting in percent-of-median totals for every basin in New Mexico of more than 100 percent.
The snowpack for the Pecos River Basin was 159 percent of median compared to 72 percent in 2014.
In addition, the NRCS reported increased precipitation at the end of April 2015 marked New Mexico’s slow march out of drought. By mid-May, extensive precipitation had dramatically improved water-supply projects and soil moisture for much of the state.
By December, conditions for the past 12 months had improved sufficiently to remove the state’s remaining drought areas. This marked the first time since Nov. 23, 2010, that New Mexico was drought-free.
At the same time, snowmelt and runoff in the spring of 2015 occurred early and well below normal for the fifth year in a row, with above-normal temperatures through April directly affecting meager snowpack and, ultimately, New Mexico’s reservoir storage levels. Storage levels are still well below capacity at all lake across the state, with – in thousands of acre-feet (KAF) – Brantley Lake currently at 43.6 compared to 81.1 last year.
The Jan. 1 forecast numbers from the NRCS show a majority of the state is well positioned for a better-than-normal runoff season, particularly with strong evidence pointing toward El Nino conditions. If those forecasts hold true, there is a strong chance this year’s melt-out will not occur earlier than normal.
The NRCS reports streamflow forecasts for the Pecos River Basin for the March to July timeframe are positive, ranging from 141 percent of average for the Pecos River above Santa Rosa Lake to 147 percent of average for the Pecos near Pecos. December saw 134 percent of the average precipitation, which put the Pecos at 138 percent of average for the water year.
