Sumner Lake water release begins

FORT SUMNER — The Carlsbad Irrigation District is planning a large release of water from Sumner Lake starting this week.

The release is expected to contain 8,000-10,000 acre-feet of water and will require about 3 1/2 days to accomplish, said Sumner Lake Dam Tender Mike Cantrell.

The water will be released at a volume of 1,200-1,300 cubic feet per second, so area residents can expect a full Pecos River during the release.

There is no corresponding release from Santa Rosa Lake, so the level at Sumner Lake is expected to drop significantly, Cantrell said.

He also said the release is being conducted now because of the lack of snowpack in the Pecos watershed and the intent of CID is to push as much of the water as possible to Brandley Lake before higher temperatures hit and the evaporation factor increases.