I just looked up the flow rate for the Rio Grande. They have a sensor that is monitored on the hour not too far from where I usually hunt. This morning at 4:15 it said that the flow rate was 55 cubic feet per second which is barely a trickle.

Two years ago on this date it was running at 2520 cubic feet per second and the "median" is 659 cubic feet per second.

With all the snow now melted in the northern Rockies of New Mexico it is beginning to look very bleak for the farmers in this part of the Rio Grande valley. If we get no rain most likely the rio will be totally dry in May. Last year it was that way starting in June. Looks rather bleak for Bosque del Apache NWR and my area for ducks this fall and winter.
Al

I took this picture about 5 days ago so the rio is much lower now. The average depth of the rio is most likely less than 6 inches for what you can see in this picture. If that hen mallard in the picture decides to nest in the area there might not be any water running in the rio by the time she hatches her eggs. The good news is that she can walk her ducklings to a low flow channel which is not too far---less than a city block from this rio bed.

[/url]

Al - too bad we can't divert some of the big muddy over your way.........feast or famine.
sarge

Al,
The flow on the Big Muddy at the south end of Minnesota is 78700 cfs today, that's well below what it can be this time of year. Sounds like there's still a lot of snow up nort, it may stay up a while but no flood here.

George

Al

Thats a little different than our Grand River up here in Michigan:

Chuck




"A little learning is a dangerous thing;
drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again."

A. Pope

In Reply To

Well said when you mentioned "feast or famine", Dick.
Al

In Reply To

First of all, I am glad that there is no flooding in your area. When I think of the amount of snow that is still to be melted in Minnesota, I hope it will be over a decent period of time so as to ease the flooding. My daughter told me that it was supposed to get up to the middle 70s in Minneapolis on Sunday.
As strange as it seems, George, if we just had 1/100th of the flow you spoke of the Rio would look like it was getting into a serious state of flooding. In the 7 years that they have been keeping records on the Rio Grande, the highest flow ever was 2,520 cubic feet per second in 2010. Of course, if there was no water diverted for irrigating farmers' fields, I wonder what it would look like?
Al

Wow, what a unique perspective! Sure did enjoy that picture, Chuck. I hope the river recedes quickly. Out of curiosity, has the level of Lake Michigan been down over the past decade?
Al

In Reply To

Oh yeah! We have a big old hole to fill with all that water, just a matter of getting it drained off with out further loss...the Great Lakes basin as a whole needed that water and then some, just not all at once. It could have gotten much worse in a hurry, as several sewage treatment plants would have had been severly breached if it had crested a foot higher. They finally opened the last of the main roads that were closed yesterday (major downpours and flooding started Thursday of last week), I'm sure there are plenty of low lying roads still submerged.

Chuck



"A little learning is a dangerous thing;
drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
and drinking largely sobers us again."

A. Pope

Al
To join the "feast or famine" thought, Green County suffering from a severe draught last summer is now in a flood stage. Farmers here are normally in their fields in March but are still waiting at almost the end of April.
wis boz

Here in Kansas, we feel for you, Al. I had opportunity to fly out to western Kansas yesterday, and noticed that the Arkansas River (we Kansans pronounce it RKANSAS without the "saw") still has virtually no flow west of Dodge City. Keep the faith out there in the Rio Grande Valley -- the cycle will change, if we can just manage to live long enough to experience it.
Gokey of Dakotah

steve was there any visible water at Cheyenne Bottoms other than the refuge?

We didn't quite fly north enough to see Cheyenne Bottoms, Tom, but flew directly over Quivera National Refuge and there is good water in both north and south basins. So I suspect the refuge pool at Cheyenne Bottoms continues to hold water. It's good to know, though, that things are starting to look up in your area. We landed at Ulysses to 45 mph wind gusts and blowing dust ... My flight student, who hails from Minnesota, had never been to western Kansas, and commented that he didn't care if he ever goes there again ...
Gokey of Dakotah

Thanks for the report, too bad he did not enjoy the scenery. A fan of of the land can find something interesting and beautiful anywhere.