Tough times on the Pecos as miles of river go dry
Posted at: 08/21/2012 1:59 PM
| Updated at: 08/21/2012 2:13 PM
By: SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Stretches of the Pecos River are going dry, shorelines at state parks up and down the waterway are changing and there are islands popping up that weren't there before.
State and federal officials point to what's happening on the Pecos River as another example of fallout from two years of exceptional drought.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service say the southeastern corner of the state has been hit the hardest.
Many areas have seen only a couple of inches of rain since the beginning of the year, and monsoon season has been too spotty to make up for the deficit.
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge outside of Roswell is one of the few places along the Pecos River that remains wet, but spring levels there are low too.
Refuge Manager Floyd Truetken says back-to-back dry years are making for a tough time.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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