Warmer winter worries area farmers dependent on runoff from snow

Those in southern New Mexico who rely on winter snowfall and the runoff that is the state's lifeblood are eyeing forecasts uneasily. The reason? A winter weather pattern, which tends to mean a warmer, drier winter for New Mexico and southern Colorado, is predicted. And for farmers in Do-a Ana County, who rely on that water once it reaches Elephant Butte Lake in the spring and summer, the problem is compounded because there's not much water in the reservoirs designated for the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. Water in the reservoirs is allocated to different interests, including El Paso and Mexican irrigators. "It was not a rosy picture," said EBID board member Tom Simpson. "Our water bank is very, very low." But it means the district and how much water it can distribute next spring will rely entirely on the snowfall in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado over the winter, Narvaez said. Because 16,000 acre-feet - in comparison to the 282,000 acre-feet the district distributed in 2010 to farmers - "is essentially zero."...more