HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBUQUERQUE NM
300 PM MST FRI APR 4 2008

WATER SUPPLY FORECAST NEWS RELEASE FOR NEW MEXICO

THIS IS A COORDINATED RELEASE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND
THE USDA NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE.

THE WATER SUPPLY FORECAST AS OF EARLY APRIL 2008 RANGES FROM WELL
ABOVE NORMAL RUNOFF IN THE RIO GRANDE AND RIO CHAMA BASINS OF
NORTHERN NEW MEXICO TO WELL BELOW NORMAL RUNOFF FOR STREAMS
ORIGINATING IN THE SACRAMENTO MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO
THROUGH THE SPRING SNOW MELT PERIOD AND INTO EARLY SUMMER.

FORECAST FLOWS ON THE RIO GRANDE INCLUDE 155 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO
COCHITI LAKE AND 171 PERCENT OF NORMAL INTO ELEPHANT BUTTE LAKE.
OTHER RIO GRANDE BASIN RESERVOIR FORECAST INFLOWS RANGE FROM 158
PERCENT OF NORMAL AT EL VADO LAKE TO 91 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT JEMEZ
CANYON RESERVOIR. INFLOW TO CONCHAS LAKE IS FORECAST TO BE 92 PERCENT
OF NORMAL WHILE INFLOW TO SANTA ROSA LAKE IS EXPECTED TO BE 98
PERCENT OF NORMAL. NAVAJO RESERVOIR IS EXPECTING 155 PERCENT OF
NORMAL INFLOW.

SPRING FLOW IN THE RIO RUIDOSO IS FORECAST TO BE ONLY 36 PERCENT OF
NORMAL.

PRECIPITATION ACROSS NEW MEXICO DURING MARCH 2008 WAS WELL BELOW
NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE STATE AS VERY LITTLE PRECIPITATION OCCURRED
AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH. HIGH ELEVATION SITES IN THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER AND LOCATIONS ALONG THE EAST
SLOPES OF THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS DID RECEIVE 70 TO 85 PERCENT
OF NORMAL MARCH PRECIPITATION. IT WAS ALSO DRIER THAN NORMAL IN
SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLORADO DURING MARCH. THE DRIEST REGION
OF NEW MEXICO SO FAR IN 2008 HAS BEEN THE EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
PLAINS.

SEASONAL PRECIPITATION...OCTOBER 2007 THROUGH MARCH 2008...RANGED
FROM WELL BELOW AVERAGE IN THE EASTERN PLAINS AND SOUTHERN BORDER
COUNTIES OF NEW MEXICO TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE IN PARTS OF THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS. SEASONAL PRECIPITATION THROUGH MARCH IN SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST COLORADO HAD BEEN ABOVE AVERAGE TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE.

SURVEYS BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'S NATURAL RESOURCES
CONSERVATION SERVICE INDICATE THAT SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IN THE RIO
GRANDE BASIN AS OF APRIL 1 WAS 117 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 202 PERCENT
OF ONE YEAR AGO. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN THE SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT IS
129 PERCENT OF NORMAL AND 217 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF APRIL 1 2007.

IN THE COLORADO HIGH COUNTRY HEADWATERS OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...
SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT AS OF APRIL 1 2008 WAS 140 PERCENT OF NORMAL
AND 199 PERCENT OF ONE YEAR AGO.

LOOKING AT HISTORICAL APRIL 1 SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT TOTALS IN THE
NEW MEXICO PORTION OF THE RIO GRANDE BASIN SINCE 1995...THE APRIL 1
2008 SNOWPACK RANKS AS THE SECOND BEST OF THE PAST 14 YEARS. SNOWPACK
WATER CONTENT WAS HIGHER IN 2005 AT 142 PERCENT OF NORMAL.

NEW MEXICO RESERVOIR STORAGE IS WELL BELOW NORMAL IN THE RIO GRANDE
BASIN AND THE CANADIAN BASIN...BELOW NORMAL IN THE PECOS BASIN...AND
ABOVE NORMAL AT NAVAJO LAKE. IN THE RIO GRANDE BASIN...STORAGE IS 57
PERCENT OF THE 1971 TO 2000 NORMAL AND 95 PERCENT OF LAST YEARS
STORAGE AT THIS TIME. IN THE SAN JUAN BASIN...NAVAJO RESERVOIR
STORAGE IS 107 PERCENT OF THE 30 YEAR NORMAL...AND 83 PERCENT OF THE
STORAGE OF ONE YEAR AGO.

THIS WATER SUPPLY FORECAST REFLECTS CONDITIONS AS OF THE FIRST FEW
DAYS OF APRIL 2008.

                                         SNOTEL DATA

                                APRIL 1 2008    1971-2000 AVERAGE 
                                WATER CONTENT      WATER CONTENT
                                    INCHES           INCHES
                                                

CHAMITA                              12.7              9.2 
RED RIVER                             8.3              7.3   
CUMBRES TRESTLE                      38.8             26.9  
WOLF CREEK SUMMIT                    44.6             33.3

EAP