"The Santa Fe River is flowing today! Because of the unprecedented amount of precipitation last fall and winter, the City of Santa Fe is managing reservoir releases to the Santa Fe River at a rate of approximately 1 million gallons per day (MGD).
"Currently, the City’s Reservoirs are at 83 percent capacity and the snow melt runoff will fill the reservoirs faster than the city can treat water for the community's potable water supply. If additional rain or snow events occur, the reservoir releases may extend into the month of May and increase up to 5 MGD for a potential fishing opportunity.
"The City of Santa Fe continues to treat and utilize as much of our surface water supply for the potable water supply as is feasible.
"Water Division Director, Gary Martinez, said, 'The planned management release benefits the health of the watershed by recharging the aquifer in the vicinity of the Santa Fe River, providing for the health of the riparian zone habitat, decreasing the fire danger within the Santa Fe River corridor and maintaining flood control for the City of Santa Fe.'
"Martinez emphasized that Santa Fe is still between a drought year and an average year of precipitation [emphasis added] and the city's release of water is only because of managed storage of reservoir supplies and the accumulated rain of fall 2006. According to the U.S.D.A., Natural Resources Conservation Service, the March 1 streamflow forecast for the Santa Fe River is 76 percent of the yearly average. Conservation of water is always in season and something Santa Fe must continuously practice in preparation for any consecutive drought years."
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