New Mexico lake update

It's that wacky, move-the-boats-around time of year. Saturday we hauled Syzygy out from the chill northern mountain waters of Heron Lake; Sunday we hauled Black Magic out from the Butte so repairs can be made to re-seat the console that houses some of her control lines.

Recent rains are helping local lakes.

Elephant Butte Lake:
355,253 acre feet, 4,327.42 feet elevation (above benchmark).
Up 2 inches and 1,934 a.f. in 24 hours.
Up 3 inches and 2,600 a.f. in 72 hours.
Rio Grande Compact restrictions will be lifted once the Butte reaches 400 kaf.

Navajo, 1,430,969 a.f., down 16,529 a.f. and 15 inches in 72 hours.
El Vado, 53,351 a.f.
Abiquiu, 154,567 a.f.
Cochiti, 48,980 a.f.
Ute, 205,000 a.f.

Heron Lake:

201,738 a.f., 7,145.61 feet elevation.
Up 2.6 inches and 833 a.f. in 24 hours.
Up 7 inches and 2,250 a.f. in 72 hours.
Azotea Tunnel flow rate is 365 cubic feet per second (120 minimum, 662 maximum in past 72 hours).
Willow Creek flow is 358 c.f.s. (120 minimum, 598 maximum).

13,000 acre feet of contractor water has already been discharged this year, leaving about 83,000 a.f. to be given up this winter (along with 300 a.f. of native Rio Grande basin water). The Heron Lake marina will likely ground in late February and the cove floor will likely be about four or five feet above the lake level at the lake's low point in April (if we don't get an early spring runoff).