Runoff forecast has been released

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The runoff forecast for New Mexico is out and it does not look terrible, but it does not look great either.

A recent measurement of the snowpack in New Mexico shows the northern part of the state anywhere from 75 percent to 85 percent of normal.

It's the same situation in the Rio Grande basin.

Some areas in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains are at 93 percent.

The one area fairing far better than normal is the Mimbres Basin at 146 percent.

The areas that are not doing so well are those down from Elephant Butte Lake which sits at 13 percent available capacity.

Hydrologists say while it's better than we've seen in past years, there are more factors to consider.

”Right at the moment things don't look terrible not in dire straights not as dry as last year but compounding off of last year and potential that we are off of dry spring we need to start planning now for real low runoff year,” Hydrologic Technician Wayne Sleep said.

The middle Rio Grande conservancy district says it has been storing water in anticipation for years like this, so they think there will be enough to make it through irrigation season.