April 2, 2003

COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M University, in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, has begun Drought Watch, a bi-weekly summation of Rio Grande River water supply conditions.

The report, which began in March, is being sent by email to the media, legislators, environmental groups and concerned citizens. Interested people can sign up for the newsletter by contacting Dr. Ari Michelsen, resident director of the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center in El Paso,a-michelsen@tamu.edu

According to Michelsen, Drought Watch developed because of "the need for better community understanding of our region's surface water supply conditions and the severity of this river drought."

Several organizations, including USBR and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, have contributed to the report. It gives current information on snow pack, streamflow forecasts, reservoir levels and actual water allocations produced by several organizations, Michelsen said.

"This is part of our effort to provide this information in a more user-friendly format," he added.

The 1,900-mile-long Rio Grande originates in Colorado and supports 5 million people in that state, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico, he said. Agriculture accounts for up to 90 percent of the water withdrawal from the river, and it is the only source of surface water for much of the region.

Further information on the report is available from Filiberto Cortez, USBR field division manager, (915) 534-6300,fcortez@uc.usbr.gov, or Michelsen, (915) 859-9111.