Flooding over the week improves streamflow, reservoir levels, drought to persist
CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. – After months of watching reservoir levels fall and drought conditions intensify, Cibola County experienced a reminder this week that summer moisture can arrive quickly and unevenly.
Thunderstorms brought localized flooding to Bluewater Lake State Park and the nearby community of Las Tusas, while much of the county remained classified in extreme drought. This week's monitoring reflects that contrast: Bluewater Lake and the Rio San Jose showed slight increases, recent rainfall was more widespread than in previous weeks, and forecasters continue to call for additional precipitation. Despite precipitation, the monthly drought outlook predicts drought will persist through the end of July.
Bluewater Lake
According to provisional U.S. Geological Survey data, Bluewater Lake measured 7,365.29 feet in elevation on July 21, up slightly from 7,365.23 feet one week earlier.
The modest increase follows thunderstorms that produced localized flooding around Bluewater Lake and Las Tusas over the weekend. While the rise is small, it marks one of the few weekly increases observed after months of gradual decline. Rio San Jose
The Rio San Jose at Acoma Pueblo measured 1.89 feet on July 21, according to provisional USGS data, up slightly from 1.88 feet the previous week.
Although only a onehundredth of a foot increase, the reading suggests recent rainfall produced at least a modest response in streamflow.
Precipitation across Cibola
The latest Drought.gov maps show Cibola County remained hot during the past week, with average daytime high temperatures generally reaching the 80s to low 90s.
Unlike many earlier weeks this summer, however, the county received more widespread precipitation. The seven-day precipitation map shows much of Cibola County picked up roughly onehalf inch to 2 inches of rainfall, with isolated locations receiving even higher amounts. Those totals are consistent with reports of localized flooding around Bluewater Lake and Las Tusas, where heavy thunderstorms briefly overwhelmed normally dry areas.
Looking ahead, the National Weather Service's seven-day quantitative precipitation forecast continues to favor additional moisture across western New Mexico. Much of Cibola County is forecast to receive between one-half inch and 1 inch of rainfall, with localized areas potentially exceeding that amount if repeated thunderstorms develop.
Despite the recent improvement, the Climate Prediction Center's One-Month Drought Outlook continues to indicate drought is expected to persist across Cibola County through the remainder of July.
Water data courtesy of the United States Geological Survey. Temperature, precipitation and drought information courtesy of Drought.gov, the National Weather Service, the U.S. Drought Monitor, the Climate Prediction Center and the New Mexico Environment Department.