CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – Early February data shows Cibola County still waiting for a decisive winter shift.
Bluewater Lake continued its gradual decline over the past week, the Rio San Jose held flat at low levels, and snowpack in the Zuni/Bluewater River Basin remained stalled well below average. Together, the numbers suggest that while winter is well underway, meaningful water recovery has yet to materialize.
Bluewater Lake
U.S. Geological Survey data shows Bluewater Lake at 4,389 acre-feet as of 9:15 a.m. on Feb. 10, down from 4,415 acre-feet recorded Feb. 3. The roughly 26-acrefoot decline continues the steady winter drawdown pattern that has persisted since late summer.
While winter losses are typically slower than those seen during hotter months, the ongoing decline reflects limited inflow and underscores how dependent the reservoir remains on future snowpack and spring runoff.
Rio San Jose
The Rio San Jose gauge at Acoma Pueblo measured 1.85 feet on Feb. 10, unchanged from the reading one week earlier.
The river has now held at this level for several consecutive weeks, indicating stable but shallow base flow with no measurable response to recent precipitation.
Snowpack Update – Zuni/Bluewater River Basin
Snowpack conditions showed no improvement during the reporting period. At the NRCS SNOTEL Rice Park site (8,480 feet), snow water equivalent measured 1.8 inches on Feb. 10 – the same amount recorded the previous week.
For this date, the median snowpack is 4.6 inches, placing the basin at 39 percent of normal. The basin’s median peak snowpack of 6.0 inches, typically reached in early March, remains far out of reach without additional storms.
As February progresses, the window for building snowpack that supports spring runoff continues to narrow. Bluewater Lake’s decline, the Rio San Jose’s flat profile, and stalled snowpack together point to a winter that has so far delivered consistency, not recovery.