As the Animas River in the Four Corners region of the U.S. is expected to rise due to spring runoff and recent rainfall, concerns about flooding are increasing.

The Four Corners is a region of the Southwestern U.S. consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northeastern corner of Arizona and northwestern corner of New Mexico.

The river is currently at a level considered to be "action stage," meaning that flooding is possible, and residents and businesses in low-lying areas have been advised to take precautions.

“We always have spring runoff, and due to the snow pack this year, currently it’s at 150% above normal. We anticipate a pretty good spring runoff this year,” Mike Mestas, emergency manager for San Juan County, told KOB 4 News. 

The Animas River is a major waterway in the region, and flooding can cause significant damage to homes and property. It also typically can disrupt transportation and commerce. Residents are being urged to stay informed about the situation and to take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property as the river level continues to rise.

Trying to project exactly how much water will breach the banks, and when any flooding might occur, is hard.

“Depends on how quickly we warm up if it rains up in high elevations. Unfortunately, those are things we have no control over that could drastically change how much water comes down the river,” Robert Sterrett, fire chief for the city of Farmington, told KOB 4 News.

Sterrett said projections put this year on a par with 2015 and 2019 conditions. He made that comparison based on the fact that the flow right is around 2,000 cubic feet per second currently, which is similar to the numbers posted in the two aforementioned flood years.

Those years saw standing water in Farmington’s river parks. To try to mitigate a repeat of that, the city is prepared to set up a sandbag barrier and has 1,000 sandbags on hand.