STEP 11 – Snow that Melts in the Spring

Snow Pack and Spring Runoff

Mountains don’t look like water towers that hold water for Albuquerque, but they are. In spring, the winter snow in the mountains melts. That melted snow runs into our rivers and lakes. We call this rush of water “Spring Runoff.” When the mountains get a lot of snow in the winter, our rivers are full of water. That is why the Rio Grande is so grand in spring. By late summer the rivers may be down to a trickle of water.

When the river is running high, we can use more river water for drinking. When the river is low, we will use very little river water or no river water at all. That is when we need to use our aquifer (underground) water.

Now that you have completed the Digital Tour of our Water System, you know that our water is very precious. We all need to protect our life-giving water. Save water! Remember never to waste it!

This is the snow
that melts in the spring,
that fills the lake
where the water is stored,
for the people who live
in our growing town,
who built the dam
on the Rio Grande,
where machines cleaned the water,
that flowed through the Clean Drinking Water Plant,
that ran the pumps,
that filled the pipes,
attached to the faucet,
that filled the cup,
that held the water
that Jack drank.

And THAT is where your water comes from!