Upper Chama River Updates

by Holly A. Wilkie
NM Office of the State Engineer

The weekend weather has pushed the Chama Basin Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE)up to 57% of the median with 14 days until the median peak. As you can see in the graph below, the current value is still in the red as it is between half and 2/3 of the average snowpack over the past 30 years. The high-elevation stations (Cumbres Trestle and Hopewell) are looking slightly better at 61% and the low-elevation stations (Chamita and Bateman) are looking slightly poorer at 47%. The sparse snowpack presages a meager runoff and a poor irrigation season, so it is best to prepare for an early curtailment.

The NRCS was predicting a 72% of the median water supply for the 2025 water year in January, and they revised that prediction down to 37% of median on March 1.