Elephant Butte Reservoir recovered to 31,826 af this week, up 14% from the prior reading, per the Bureau of Reclamation, climbing back above the 30,000 af threshold it broke below in recent weeks. Storage remains 71% below the five-year median, the widest deficit of any tracked reservoir in the digest, as the irrigation drawdown period closes for the season.

• Rio Grande: 730 cfs, up 1,493.9% week over week from 46 cfs, per USGS. A second Rio Grande gauge reads 746 cfs, up 189.1% on the week and 67% above the five-year median.
• Bear-Great Basin: 817 cfs, up 283.6% week over week, 35% above the five-year median, per USGS.
• Yampa-Green: 198 cfs, up 469.0% week over week, 22% above the five-year median, per USGS.
• Blue Mesa Reservoir: 144,461 af, down 2% on the week and 66% below the five-year median, per the Bureau of Reclamation. The Bureau's September 15, 2026 24-Month Study puts WY 2026 Lake Powell inflows at 3.52 maf (37% of the 30-year average) and projects WY 2027 releases in the range of 6.0 to 7.0 maf under the Low Elevation Infrastructure Protection Range.
• Colorado drought: 86% of the state in drought (D1-D4), down 2 pts on the week but 45 pts above the five-year median, per the US Drought Monitor.
• Salt-Gila: 279 cfs, 143% above the five-year median (USGS), down 61% week over week.

Allocations (standing status): CVP north-of-Delta contractors, including Sacramento River irrigation, M&I, Sacramento River Settlement, American River M&I and In-Delta M&I, all stand at 100%, announced Feb. 26, 2026, per the Bureau of Reclamation. SWP statewide allocation stands at 45% (revised from 30%), per DWR's May 1, 2026 announcement. No allocation changes this week.

Data note: CVP cross-valley irrigation and CVP south-of-delta irrigation allocation series have not updated in over two weeks; those specific figures are stale.

The Waterline reports public data from the US Bureau of Reclamation, USGS, the US Drought Monitor, and state water agencies. It is not investment, legal, or water-rights advice. Allocations and drought classes are reported as published by their agencies; we do not forecast them.