San Luis Reservoir at 1.47M af, 45% Above the Five-Year Median
San Luis Reservoir stands at 1.47M af as water year 2027 opens, up 3% on the week and 45% above its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation). The reservoir is California's primary south-of-Delta buffer for CVP and SWP contractors.
- Salt-Gila streamflow: 10,800 cfs, up 3,771% week over week and 4,575% above the five-year median (USGS). The largest percentage move in this week's tracked series.
- San Juan-Colorado: 3,260 cfs, up 208% week over week and 372% above the three-year median (USGS). Upper Colorado tributary flows are running well above recent norms.
- Rio Grande: 1,440 cfs, up 93% on the week and 313% above the five-year median (USGS).
- Dolores-Colorado: 240 cfs, up 116% on the week and 174% above the five-year median (USGS).
- Lake Oroville: 1.63M af, down 5% on the week and 14% below its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation).
- Elephant Butte Reservoir: 31,826 af, 71% below its five-year median (Bureau of Reclamation), the widest storage deficit among tracked reservoirs this week.
Drought: Kings County and Fresno County each sit at 0% drought coverage (US Drought Monitor), 99 pts and 36 pts below their respective five-year medians. No change in either on the week.
Allocations (standing status): CVP Sacramento River irrigation, M&I, Settlement, American River M&I (Folsom) and In-Delta M&I contracts all stand at 100%, as announced by Reclamation on February 26, 2026. SWP stands at 45%, as announced by DWR on May 1, 2026. No allocation changed this week.
Bureau of Reclamation's September 15, 2026 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell to operate under the Low Elevation Infrastructure Protection Range in water year 2027, with an expected annual release of 6.00 to 7.00 maf.
Data note: The CVP cross-valley irrigation allocation and CVP south-of-delta irrigation allocation series have not updated in over two weeks. Treat those specific figures as 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.