Although precipitation in the Rio Grande Basin was above normal last year, it appears that this year is starting off dry once again. Analysis of snowpacks in Rio Grande Basin on April 1, 2006 indicates a range from 69 percent of average in the Upper Rio Grande Basin to only nine percent of average in the Jemez Basin. Snowpack typically begin melting off quickly during the first week of April, although there is still time for one or two storms to add to the snow before it melts away. Spring runoff forecasts for April, 2006 call for about 30 percent of normal streamflow response to this melting snowpack.

Last year the Rio Grande Basin experienced an above normal year following nine years of drought, with some years of nearly average precipitation mixed in with record setting dry years. The last previous wet year in the Rio Grande headwaters was 1995. The following year, 1996, was quite dry; 2000 was even drier; and 2002 was one of the driest years on record. 2003 was also worse than 1996, although much improved from the devastating hydrology from the year before. The intervening years of 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 were closer to normal.

A major effect of drought conditions in the Rio Grande Basin has been the altered reservoir and irrigation operations enforced by low storage levels in Elephant Butte Reservoir. As required by the Rio Grande Compact, storage in Elephant Butte must exceed 400,000 acre-feet before upstream reservoirs are allowed to store Rio Grande water. From consecutive years of drought the storage in Elephant Butte only briefly rose above this level last year before dropping below again. Storage is now slightly above this level, allowing upstream reservoirs to retain much needed storage. Over the past few years, this curtailment of upstream water storage had made it necessary for competing water use interests to make plans and agreements to share shortages. It is important to note that the enormous storage available in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs has kept the effects of the drought at bay for people in that area for the past several years.

The silvery minnow is a species of fish living in the Rio Grande which is on the endangered species list. Reclamation is working to maintain a viable environment for the minnow while balancing the needs of human interests during this drought. Another species, the southwestern willow flycatcher, is a threatened bird which has taken up residence in the newly exposed lake bottom in Elephant Butte Reservoir.