# Dolores River Drops 74% on the Week to 9.8 cfs _Aug 10, 2026_ > Dolores River drops 74% on the week to 9.8 cfs, 89% below the 5-year median; Blue Mesa falls 5% to 221,055 af; 91% of Colorado in D1+ drought. _Numbers as of Aug 10, 2026 pull._ Dolores River flow fell to **9.8 cfs** this week, down 74% on the week and **89% below the 5-year median** (USGS). That is the furthest-below-normal reading of any tracked site this week. Colorado drought coverage stands at **91%**, 56 pts above the 5-year median (US Drought Monitor), unchanged week over week. [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/issues/water/2026-08-10/reservoir/elephant-butte-reservoir.png) - **Blue Mesa Reservoir** (Bureau of Reclamation): **221,055 af**, down 5% week over week and **56% below the 5-year median**. The drawdown continues through peak irrigation season. - **Yampa River**: **26 cfs**, down 43% week over week and **82% below the 5-year median** (USGS). The upper-basin reading is well below normal heading into late season. - **Elephant Butte Reservoir** (Bureau of Reclamation): **27,118 af**, up 1% on the week. Storage has leveled off after weeks of sharp declines but remains **75% below the 5-year median** during active irrigation season. - **Central Valley counties**: Fresno, Kern, Kings, Stanislaus and Tulare counties each show **0%** D1+ drought coverage (US Drought Monitor). Kings County is 99 pts below its 5-year median for this period, consistent with the absence of drought across the San Joaquin Valley this summer. **Allocations (standing status)** - CVP north-of-Delta contracts stand at **100%** across Sacramento River irrigation, M&I, settlement, American River M&I and In-Delta M&I categories, announced February 26, 2026 (Bureau of Reclamation). - SWP statewide stands at **45%**, announced May 1, 2026 (Department of Water Resources). **Data note:** Two CVP data series have not updated in over two weeks. Figures from those series should be treated as stale. --- Canonical URL: https://the-waterline.com/issues/2026-08-10