Federal water managers think they have a plan to keep the Rio Grande flowing this summer, but they conceded Thursday it all depends on the weather
This April 10, 2022 image shows the Rio Grande flowing just north of Albuquerque, N.M. State and regional water managers are encouraging some farmers to forego irrigation allotments this season in exchange for compensation as they look leave more water in the river to meet interstate water-sharing compacts. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — — Tumbleweeds drift along the Rio Grande as sand bars within its banks widen.
Ed Kandl, a hydrologist with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said warmer temperatures will affect supplies, but relief could come if summer monsoons develop. “We'll just have to see what happens,” he said. Sitting in his backhoe in one of his fields, Garcia began to get emotional. He said he grew up watching his dad farm the land.
Thursday's virtual meeting included estimates of how much the Bureau of Reclamation will have to work with this season based on spring runoff predictions and current reservoir levels. Officials said it's possible the Rio Grande, as it passes through the heart of Albuquerque, could start drying in late August or early September.