May 28, 2026
CVP South-of-Delta Irrigation Allocation Revised to 25%
Bureau of Reclamation raised CVP South-of-Delta irrigation to 25% and M&I to 75% on May 19. Elephant Butte sits at 208,870 af, 42% below the 5-year median, as the USGS-tracked Rio Grande gauge records zero flow.
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CVP South-of-Delta irrigation allocations were revised to 25% on May 19, up from 20%, per the Bureau of Reclamation. Municipal and industrial contractors on the same reach moved to 75%, up from 70%.
- Storage
- Elephant Butte Reservoir (Reclamation): 208,870 af, down 7% on the week and 42% below the 5-year median. Storage is in deficit heading into peak irrigation demand.
- Blue Mesa Reservoir (Reclamation): 343,785 af, down 4% on the week and 32% below the 5-year median.
- Rio Grande (USGS): 0.0 cfs at the tracked gauge this week.
- Idaho drought coverage: 85% of area in D1 or worse per the US Drought Monitor, up 7 pts on the week and 62 pts above the 5-year median.
- Wyoming and Klamath County, OR: 98% and 100% in drought (D1+), 69 and 62 pts above the 5-year median per the US Drought Monitor.
- San Juan-Colorado streamflow: 856 cfs per USGS, 146% above the 5-year median and up 37% on the week.
Standing allocations: SWP statewide stands at 45% (California DWR, May 1). CVP North-of-Delta Sacramento River irrigation stands at 100% (Reclamation, February 26). Neither changed this week.
Data note: One CVP data series has not updated in over two weeks. Related figures from that series may be stale.