Diego Lopez, Editor
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – As a major winter storm system moved across the country and into New Mexico, Cibola County entered the week under close watch.
Data collected ahead of the storm shows Bluewater Lake and the Rio San Jose holding steady at low levels, while snowpack in the Zuni Mountains increased noticeably over several days.
Bluewater Lake
United States Geological Surbey data collected on Jan. 23 at approximately 2:30 p.m., prior to the storm’s main impacts, measured Bluewater Lake at 4,441 acre-feet, down from 4,470 acre-feet one week earlier.
A follow-up reading on Jan. 26 showed the lake remaining at 4,441 acre-feet, indicating no immediate inflow response as of this reporting
period.
Any reservoir gains tied to this storm system are more likely to appear gradually, particularly if snowpack continues to build and melt conditions arrive later in the season.
Rio San Jose
The Rio San Jose gauge at Acoma Pueblo remained unchanged throughout the monitoring period.
Measurements taken on Jan. 23 and again on Jan. 26 recorded a gage height of 1.85 feet, matching levels observed earlier in the month.
Snowpack Update – Zuni/Bluewater River Basin
Snowpack conditions in the Zuni Mountains showed the most notable movement of the week. Data from the NRCS SNOTEL site at Rice Park (8,480 feet) documented steady gains as the storm approached and passed through the region:
• Jan. 23: 1.2 inches SWE (35% of median)
• Jan. 24: 1.5 inches SWE (44% of median)
• Jan. 25: 1.8 inches SWE (53% of median)
• Jan. 26: 1.7 inches SWE (50% of median) Although snow water equivalent dipped slightly after peaking, the snowpack remains significantly improved compared to early January. Even so, snowpack remains well below the seasonal median of 3.4 inches, and less than one-third of the typical median peak of 6.0 inches.