Blue Mesa at 301,580 af, 48% Below the 5-Year Median

Blue Mesa Reservoir stood at 301,580 af this week, per US Bureau of Reclamation, 48% below the 5-year median for this date and down 6% on the week. The Gunnison basin reservoir heads into peak irrigation drawdown substantially below the storage normal for this date. Colorado drought coverage is 97% of area (D1-D4), 55 pts above the 5-year median, per the US Drought Monitor.

• Elephant Butte Reservoir fell to 92,071 af, down 32% on the week and 44% below the 5-year median, per US Bureau of Reclamation. The lower Rio Grande's primary storage buffer enters peak drawdown season well short of normal levels.
• The tracked Rio Grande gauge read 0 cfs this week, per USGS, the largest departure from normal of any site in this issue.
• Yampa-Green streamflow dropped to 313 cfs, down 61% on the week and 85% below the 5-year median, per USGS.
• Wyoming drought coverage hit 100% of the state in D1-D4 conditions, 56 pts above the 5-year median and up 2 pts on the week, per the US Drought Monitor. Idaho reached 97%, 59 pts above median, also up 2 pts.
• Oregon stands at 87% drought coverage (D1-D4), 45 pts above the 5-year median, and Klamath County at 86%, 54 pts above median. Neither changed this week, per the US Drought Monitor.

Allocations (standing status): CVP agricultural and municipal allocations north-of-Delta remain at 100% of contract, set by US Bureau of Reclamation in February. SWP stands at 45%, set by the California Department of Water Resources on May 1. No allocation changed this week.

Data note: CVP series have not updated in over two weeks. Treat any CVP figure as stale.