# Elephant Butte Down 24% on the Week, 54% Below the 5-Year Median _Jul 2, 2026_ > Elephant Butte Reservoir storage fell 24% week over week to 69,686 af, 54% below the 5-year median. Colorado and Wyoming drought coverage runs at 93% and 100% respectively, while San Joaquin Valley counties post zero drought. Elephant Butte Reservoir storage fell to **69,686 af** this week, down **24%** from the prior reading, per US Bureau of Reclamation data. The reservoir now sits **54% below the 5-year median** for this date. The drawdown arrives during peak irrigation demand on the lower Rio Grande system. [Chart: Elephant Butte Reservoir storage](https://the-waterline.com/reservoir/elephant-butte-reservoir) ([data](https://the-waterline.com/reservoir/elephant-butte-reservoir.md) — chart image: https://the-waterline.com/charts/reservoir/elephant-butte-reservoir/chart.png) - **Blue Mesa Reservoir (Colorado):** 287,544 af, down 5% on the week and 50% below the 5-year median per Bureau of Reclamation. Upper Colorado storage remains well below normal through the heart of irrigation season. - **Rio Grande (tracked gauge):** 0.0 cfs per USGS. No flow at the gauge this period, compounding pressure on Elephant Butte as the primary storage buffer for lower-basin deliveries. - **Bear-Great Basin streamflow:** 407 cfs, up 118% on the week and 173% above the 5-year median per USGS. A strong late-season outlier on the high side. - **Colorado drought:** 93% of the state's area in D1-D4 drought per the US Drought Monitor, down 4 pts on the week and still 51 pts above the 5-year median for this date. - **Wyoming drought:** 100% D1-D4 coverage per the US Drought Monitor, unchanged on the week and 50 pts above the 5-year median. - **San Joaquin Valley counties:** Fresno, Kern, Kings and Merced counties each at 0% drought coverage per the US Drought Monitor, ranging from 38 to 99 pts better than their 5-year medians for this date. **Allocation status:** All tracked CVP contractor classes stand at 100% of contract per the US Bureau of Reclamation (announced Feb. 26, standing status). SWP contractors stand at 45% per the California Department of Water Resources (announced May 1, standing status). No allocation changes this week. **Data note:** The CVP data series has not updated in more than two weeks. The 100% allocation figures above reflect last reported status, not a confirmed current reading. --- Canonical URL: https://the-waterline.com/issues/2026-07-02