The gift of rain

Last week's rains gave much-needed relief to New Mexico's farmers, foresters, and sailors.

Their effects were particularly dramatic at Elephant Butte Lake, which rose half a foot almost overnight during the weekend and a foot since. Just about all of the state's lakes have benefited, with demand for agricultural irrigation sharply reduced for the moment.

Heron Lake as of Wednesday morning, July 12
7143.51 feet elevation, 193,503 acre feet.
The lake is up 3 inches and 928 a.f. in 72 hours.
The lake rose in spite of giving up about a thousand or more acre feet of water during the weekend. By early this week, however, flows from the dam seem to have slowed or ceased. The Azotea tunnel is flowing at about 100 cubic feet per second and Willow Creek at about 120 cfs after both had dumped much larger amounts of water during the past several days.

El Vado, 72,033 a.f., down 70 a.f. Rio Chama flowing now at 68 cfs, had been as high as 172 cfs in the last 72 hours. Water is flowing out at 135 cfs, up from a mere 48 cfs.

Abiquiu, 155,416 a.f., up 813 a.f.

Cochiti, 48,782 a.f., down 901 a.f.

Rio Grande at San Acacia, 762 cfs, as high as 1240 cfs.
Rio Grande, Sar Marcial Floodway, 1170 cfs, as low as 584 cfs, as high as 1220 cfs in past 72 hours.

Elephant Butte, 4312.50 ' elevation, 214,148 acrefeet, up 1 foot and 7,859 a.f. in 72 hours.
Dam is releasing water at only 211 cfs; it had been flowing out at about 970 cfs until this week.

Navajo, 1,453,812 a.f., up 1,562 acre feet.