Fire-zone downpours reveal flood threat

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KRQE) - As rain falls on the burn scar from the Little Bear Fire near Ruidoso, it's creating a scary situation for the people who live downstream.

Emergency crews saw what just a little rain could do Thursday, and now they're preparing for much worse. Recent rainfall created mud, left fallen trees and other debris in the Bonito Lake area.

The rushing water carved a new path down the mountain.

"The burn scars right now, I mean we're talking moonscape from the ski area to Bonito Lake," explained Lincoln County Director of Emergency Services, Travis Atwell. "There's no vegetation, no soil to hold water.  It's like dumping water on concrete right now."

On Wednesday Bonito Lake was 20 feet below the spillway. After 40 minutes of rainfall Thursday, rain and debris raised the lake level by 6.5 feet.

"Every time it rains it's going to start washing the roads, plugging up bridges and everything else," said Atwell.

Atwell added that there are 16 canyons above Bonito Lake alone, most of which haven't flowed with water in years. He said if all of them do, it would mean dangerous flooding for Lincoln County, and has the potential to be much worse than floods seen there in 2008.

"If it was to breach the spillway, we're talking catastrophic flooding, and that's what we're trying to avoid," Atwell explained. That's why keeping the lake level controlled is key, he added.

A spillway breach would affect "everybody downstream, all the way through Hondo," he said.

On Thursday residents in two RV parks near Bonito Lake were evacuated for a couple hours until the water receded. It doesn't take long for floodwaters to gain momentum and debris.

"When it rains and starts coming off the mountain, it's moving 30-40 miles an hour, and all you're seeing is like a 30-foot wall of water coming," explained Atwell.

Bonito Lake was a water supply for Alamogordo, Holloman Air Force Base, Fort Stanton and Carrizozo. According to Atwell, those areas are now relying on backup wells and storage.

The Westlake campground next to Bonito Lake will likely be closed for years to come, Atwell said. Clearing debris and monitoring drainage is now a daily routine.

As they constantly mitigate and clean up, emergency crews want everyone to be prepared.

"If it's starting to rain and you're in a low-lying area, you need to take your own action and get out," Atwell warned.

Emergency alerts for the village of Ruidoso and Lincoln County are vital, officials warn. Atwell said residents in the Bonito area will have about 20 to 30 minutes to evacuate once they're warned.

At that point, Atwell said those in the Hondo Valley have about 90 minutes before floodwaters reach them.

Dirt and silt have clogged drains at the spillway at Bonito Lake. Two new levee pumps were ordered Friday and will be installed to keep lake levels below the spillway. The new pumps can push up to 5,000 gallons a minute.