The City of Alamogordo differs from most municipalities in the State of New Mexico in that, historically, most of its water supply (approximately 70%) has come from surface water. These surface water sources in the Sacramento Mountains north and east of the City and Bonito Lake are highly variable and very susceptible to drought conditions that reduce supply. During drought conditions, the available water supply from these sources may be less than half of the average supply. In addition to drought, fire in a watershed can eliminate a water supply as it did with Bonito Lake. The City must plan its availability of municipal water supply upon these possibilities by assuming groundwater supply will be needed to meet the 40-year demand.
We understand that water is a precious commodity, and it is only going to become more precious as our population grows and more water is needed. The City of Alamogordo is working to make sure that our community has a secure and reliable water supply.